


Straight on 'Til Morning

by ladydragonstone



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Season 2 AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-10
Updated: 2013-03-26
Packaged: 2017-11-18 09:25:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 56,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/559416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydragonstone/pseuds/ladydragonstone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They say true love can weather any storm. What about the love that was slow to build and nearly a hundred years in the making? Can it survive the trials of separation and loss?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. You can expect to receive roughly a chapter a week.

Hook brought up his left arm to cover his nose and mouth as he nearly gagged from the smell. Rancid was too kind a word to describe the stench of decay that came rolling out from between the heavy vines and brambles surrounding the castle. Behind him he could hear Smee, and the two other crewmembers he had brought with him, gagging. It was as though the entire castle had begun to rot from the inside out. Lifting his right hand he drew his sword and began to cut through the dense vegetation. The twisting, thorned branches were at their thickest by the gate to the castle. Directly above the pirates the first portcullis hung, its heavy spikes and chains wrapped tightly in leaves and vines. As they moved past it became quickly apparent that the second, and heavier of the two gates, had been lowered as the castle was abandoned. With a quick curse Hook stepped back so that Ravello, a barrel-chested man with a baldhead and a fondness for birds, could move in front of him. Faced with the impediment of the gate Ravello raised the large ax he had clutched in his hands. Almost as one, the three other pirates took a step back as Ravello swung the ax down at the heavy wooden latticework. 

The sharp metal of the ax head crashed into the wood with a heavy splitting sound but when the ax was pulled back, it revealed that it had barely made a dent in the wood. It took Ravello nearly an hour before he was able to cut a hole that was large enough for them to squeeze through. Thorns and twigs tugged and tore at their clothes as they crawled through the opening. Inside the outer ward the smell only got worse. Glancing around Hook noted the bodies of guards lying prone on the ground, their flesh slowly rotting away. The story had said that the so-called good fairy had put all of the attendants and servants in the castle to sleep, so that they would be there when the princess awoke, clearly something had gone wrong. This didn’t come as much of a surprise to Hook because with magic, something always went wrong. From behind him came the uncomfortable hacking sound of Mr. Smee’s delicate stomach at work. It was a sound Hook and the rest of the crew were familiar with, as it had taken the round, fidgety man weeks to get his sea legs and even longer to get his cloud legs. 

With a sniff Hook pulled a cloth out of his pocket. Shaking it out he brought it up and, using the hook to brace it, tied it around his face. It wasn’t ideal but it kept some of the stench out. Pushing forward he headed for the second gate and the inner ward. The fat Duke had said that the girl lay sleeping on a great stone altar in the center of the courtyard, that she had been laid out like some dead king of old in his tomb. Hook had thought that it seemed like a fitting royal burial, she even had all her servants with her, for all the good they would do her now. The inner gate had been left raised, possibly to make things easier for whatever prince was supposed to come or maybe they just never believed anyone would get this far. To get to the courtyard, it was merely a matter of chopping through the vines that had grown across the entrance but with every swing of his sword, Hook heard the hanging portcullis above give a groan. When he had finally made a hole through the plants, the chains that held the gate, which had long ago begun to rust, finally snapped. Free of vegetative interference the gate came crashing down towards Hook.

Hook dived out of the way as the rotting wood and corroded metal slammed into the ground behind him. He heard the others shout and try to move out of the way. A pained scream let him know that his companions weren’t completely unscathed. Rising from his prone position Hook dusted some dirt off his coat and walked back to the gateway. Smee was curled in a ball just past where the gate had fallen, shivering. Ravello was sitting Parker up and trying to look at his wound. Parker, a slight man with a phobia about cannibalism, was clutching at his leg. A piece of wood nearly the length of Hook’s arm jutted out from it. Yanking down his impromptu mask Hook frowned at the sight. Pulling off one of his belts he passed it to Ravello.

“Wrap this around his leg and then drag him out of here. Smee and I will get the girl and follow along presently.” Turning on his heel Hook went back to the gate but paused for a moment next to Smee. “On your feet Mr. Smee, our work here isn’t done, yet.” Snapping the words at the trembling man Hook strode through the wreckage and into the inner ward. Grinding his teeth together Hook had to keep reminding himself that any chance for information relating to the death of the crocodile was worth any sacrifice. Besides, Parker would probably live, probably. 

Inside the courtyard, just as the Duke had described, was the altar. It was clearly something that had been added to the castle later on and almost looked out of place in the design. A great rising construction with a dome built over top of it to protect the sleeping princess from the elements. The courtiers, guards and servants he had already passed, might be rotting corpses but she looked untouched. Hook approached the altar cautiously, treading on each stair that led up to it as lightly as a cat. Inside the courtyard, the castle looked nearly untouched. It appeared to Hook that the fairy’s enchantment was breaking down on the outside and working its way in. The few servants nearby had the look of the recently dead and the surrounding walls looked less worn and aged by time. 

As he reached the top of the raised dais Hook took a moment to gaze at the scene. The princess was laid out like she was some sort of flower to be plucked. From head to toe she was all pale skin and lavender fabric. No cloth covered her but a bed of pillows and quilts had been laid out below her. Around the edges of the pillows there was the slightest hint of fraying. Time was starting to work its magic here as well. Momentarily entranced by the sight Hook reached out his good hand and fingered the soft material of her gown. The sound of Smee shuffling up beside him broke the spell and he jerked his hand away. Always curious, and often not very bright, Smee immediately went to touch the dress. Without even thinking about Hook smacked the other man’s hand like he was a naughty child.

“No, she’s not for you.” Hook chastised. Technically she was for him but Hook didn’t really want her. Still, he felt a strange sense of ownership. She was after all the treasure he had come to claim. 

With his good hand Hook reached down and grabbed a pouch from his remaining belt. It was a small, black leather pouch with a star embroidered on it. Opening it carefully he revealed the glowing contents within. Mindful to only take a small punch he sprinkled just a tiny bit of the dust on the girls face. Leaning down, with more ceremony that he intended, Hook pressed a soft kiss to the girl’s lips. He was surprised to find that they were slightly warm. Pulling away Hook tucked the pouch away. When nothing happened immediately afterwards Smee began to fidget and mutter about the Duke being a liar. He even went so far as to begin to lean towards the girl’s face on the pretense of trying to see if she was breathing. Nearly nose-to-nose with the girl Smee let out a squeal of surprise and horror when her eyes suddenly shot open. 

Hook bit back a laugh as he pushed Smee away. Leaning down Hook smirked into a pair of hazy blue eyes. “Good morning Princess, time to wake up.”

A confused, “What?” was all the girl could get out before her eyelids fluttered shut again.

The Duke had warned Hook about this. He said fairy dust could help break the curse but that it would take some time for the girl to truly wake up. Curses like this were notoriously temperamental and the caster of such a curse would not want to make it easy on the curse breaker. As they had parted the Duke had also muttered something about mixing spells and curse contamination. Shaking his head Hook slid his arms underneath the princess’s body and heaved her off the stone slab. He didn’t have time to worry about that sort of thing.

“Come along Mr. Smee, we have a chaplain waiting for us.” Hook let out a small laugh then and carried the girl out of the remains of the castle.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Her eyes opened slowly, like the two heavy doors of a treasury finally sliding open to reveal the secrets within. Gently, she swallowed and tried to get the uncomfortable dry feeling out of her mouth. From head to toe her body ached and her eyes fought against the light. This was the second or maybe even the third, then again, it could possibly be the fourth, time she had struggled to wake up. The curse still seemed to hold sway over her body and refused to let her go.  
  
Aurora had vague memories of her initial wakening. There had been men, two of them. Their faces were blurry but she could recall a great black shape and a wobbling red one. Rubbing a hand over her face, she tried to shake the cobwebs from her mind. The sensation of the world moving beneath her distracted her from her musings. An accompanying sound of boards gently creaking and a soft breeze made wherever she was seem quite pleasant. Almost like she was hanging from some great arbor in a wooden basket. Sitting up slowly Aurora tried to get her bearings. Wherever she was, the place was completely foreign. It was a wooden room decorated with foreign fabrics, strange treasures and paper. There was, quite literally, paper everywhere, maps, books, charts, posters and drawings. All manner of knowledge that could be shoved into various chests, rest on shelves, cover any sort of flat surface or be tacked onto a wall. It was like a library gone horribly wrong.  
  
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed Aurora attempted to stand for the first time, in who knew how long, but her legs refused to obey. In her mind she could see the spindle and she remembered the terrible choice. There was the terrible drumbeat of Maleficent’s threats and her parent’s gentle promises of safety. Lifting her hand she stared at the tiny wound on her index finger. Even after years of sleep it was still there. Grimacing she slammed her hand down on the bed. She didn’t want to think about that, not now. She needed to get up now, she had been prone for so long and she just wanted to stand.  
  
Digging the heels of her hands into the bed she tried to lever herself up into a standing position. With legs as unsteady as a newborn colt’s she began to shuffle across the gently rolling floor. After only a few steps, her atrophied muscles gave out and she went crashing to the ground. A soft cry slipped past her lips and Aurora found herself just lying on the floor, struggling to get up and try again. Her fingernails carved little marks into the wood as she tried to force her body to obey. It refused and no amount of sheer force of will on Aurora’s part, seemed to make any difference.  
  
The horrible smacking sound of flesh against wood must have gotten someone’s attention because only a few moments later the door to the room swung open. Aurora brought her hand up to cover her face as the bright light of day came racing into the room. Her eyes felt ill adjusted to anything more than the minor illumination from the small round windows about the cabin. The sound of heavy booted feet stomping in made Aurora lower her arm just a bit. Tilting her head up she stared up the length of a tall figure dressed all in black. Even though she didn’t recognize the man, she knew it to be the black figure from her strange waking dream. Something deep within her soul curled up and turned cold in his presence.  
  
“So you’re awake then?” The man squatted down in front of Aurora, his arms resting on his knees. He had a casual air about him but casual in a wary fashion. Like an animal trying to convince some small creature it wasn’t thinking about pouncing.  
  
It was as she lifted her head to get a better look at him that Aurora first spotted it. The man’s left hand was gone and in its place was a sharp, glittering hook. Gasping Aurora’s eyes shot up to the man’s face. He wasn’t an old man, younger than she thought he should be, with a scruffy beard and dark hair.  
  
“You’re not a prince, are you?” Instantly Aurora wished she could have taken the words back, for it was stupid thing to say but there was nothing to be done.  
  
Tossing back his head the stranger let out a great bellowing laugh. Shaking his head he flashed Aurora a cruel little smirk, “No, Princess but you are going to make me a king.”  
  
“A king?” Aurora squeaked. Her mind was still hazy from sleep, her body hurt from disuse, and its rather hard introduction to the floor, and this man was clearly mad.  
  
Nothing made any sense to her in this moment and she almost wished she could go back to sleep. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Maleficent and her fairy godmother had said a prince would wake her one-day with a kiss, that it would be a prince brave enough to withstand the trials of the curse. Actually, Maleficent had implied that many princes would die and ultimately fail in this endeavor, while her fairy godmother had seemed to insinuate that the whole messy business would be over rather quickly. Neither one of them had talked about this eventuality.  
  
“Yes, there will be time for an explanation later. The chaplain has been kept waiting long enough and he is a nervous little fellow.” Grasping one of her arms with his good hand and carefully curving his hook around her wrist, Hook tugged the princess to her feet.  
  
“But I thought, I thought a prince…” Aurora trailed off as the man half dragged her, half walked her towards the door. She knew she sounded stupid, she felt stupid saying it, but she just couldn’t seem to process what was happening to her.  
  
“Turns out you don’t have to be a prince, it just helps. Come on, we have things to do.” Hook gave the princess a small smile and a somewhat gentle shove out the door.  
  
Stumbling Aurora nearly fell out onto the deck only to be caught by a fat, little man with a wobbling red hat and a scruffy beard. The man smiled at her in what he probably thought was a warm or possibly comforting fashion, but it just seemed unnatural. She narrowed her eyes at the little wobbly hat and the memory of the dancing red shape came back to her.  
  
“Who?” She had only just gotten the word out, when once again, she was grabbed by the man in black and swung around. Aurora found herself face to face with a thin, old man who looked deeply uncomfortable. The image of an embarrassed crow flashed in Aurora’s mind and she thought it appropriate.  
  
“This is the,” the old man coughed awkwardly into his hand. “Um, bride?”  
  
“Yes, can’t you see we’re madly in love?” Hook gestured between himself and the princess, a grin on his face. It wasn’t a nice grin. Really, it was the sort of grin that promised harm to the chaplain if he didn’t get on with it.  
  
Clearing his throat the old man produced a book from deep within his shoddy gray robes and opened it up. Thumbing through it to a dog-eared section, he gave the couple one last suspicious look. He was used to girls of high standing running away with unsuitable young men to have clandestine weddings but the bride looked, just as confused as he was, by the events currently taking place. Not one to judge, or question a ship full of pirates, the chaplain just cleared his throat again and began the service.  
  
“Dearly beloved…” He had only gotten a few words in before the captain cut him off with a wave of his hook. The chaplain’s eyes followed the hook nervously and his throat unconsciously tightened.  
  
“None of that, we don’t need any of that. Just get to the important bits and whatever I need to sign.” Hook made a gesture that indicated the chaplain should hurry it along, to emphasize how serious he was. Incidentally, the gesture also implied the chaplain might become intimately acquainted with the hook if he didn’t hurry it along. It was a very powerful and multi-faceted gesture.  
  
“Right, sorry, do you,” the chaplain paused and looked at the captain, the man had never told him his name. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of the chaplain’s face.  
  
“Captain Hook,” the captain helpfully supplied, even as his bride gave him a disbelieving look.  
  
“Do you Captain Hook take,” again the chaplain paused and looked at the girl. Another bead of sweat joined its brother on the journey down towards the chaplain’s neck.  
  
When she didn’t say anything the captain gave her a gentle shake. “Go on and tell him your name girl,” Hook said with a gentle squeeze to the princess’s arm.  
  
Aurora narrowed her eyes at the man and pressed her lips more tightly together, refusing to speak. She had, had enough. Waking up from the curse had been bad enough but this madness had to stop. She was not going to marry some strange man, on a strange ship, with a somewhat damp looking, little chaplain presiding over it while wearing the same dress that she had been sleeping in for who knows how long. It was just too much and she was putting her foot down or rather she was silently protesting. The foot part could be considered metaphorical.  
  
The man, who called himself Captain Hook, leaned down and hissed in her ear. “Now listen here princess. I woke you from that curse with a kiss and per the deal set out by said curse, whoever awakens you, weds you. Now you’re not going to go back on that deal, are you? After all, how do you know that the curse won’t put you right back to sleep or that I might just throw you overboard for a being more trouble than your creamy hide is worth?”  
Eyes wide Aurora looked carefully at Hook. There was a sort of barely restrained annoyance flashing in his eyes and the grip on her arm tightened ever so slightly. In that moment she believed that he really would throw her into the ocean first chance he got if she did not behave. Turning her head slightly to the side, she really took in her surroundings for the first time. She was indeed on a ship, surrounded by a large group of very unsavory looking men, a few of them were even leering at her in a way that suggested something terrible would happen to her before she met her watery grave. Swallowing Aurora looked back at Hook who just jerked his head towards the chaplain.  
  
Feeling dejected but lacking any real choice she opened her mouth and tried to use her dried out vocal cords, “Princess Aurora of the Kingdom of the Sands, Lady of the Golden Palace and Guardian of the Pearl Chalice.” Raising her chin ever so slightly Aurora tried to brush off how wretched her voice had sounded by looking imperious.  
  
The chaplain stared at her for a moment, not really believing that all of that had come out of her mouth, before finally continuing on, “Princess Aurora as your wife?”  
  
“I do,” Hook gave the chaplain his best crocodile grin, just so he could watch the other man fidget.  
  
Averting his eyes the chaplain looked to the princess. “And do you Princess Aurora take Captain Hook as your husband?”  
  
Aurora let her eyes flit to Hook, a unsettling smirk and a slight squeeze to her arm, as her only response. Sighing she croaked out the words, “I do.”  
  
“Then I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride and please sign the registry.” Reaching into his long coat the chaplain drew out another book. He flipped to a blank page and held it out towards Hook.  
  
Hook smiled and turned towards his bride. The girl looked deeply uncomfortable and not completely well. Taking a brief moment of pity on her, he bent down and gave her a quick, chaste kiss not unlike the one he had used to awaken her. His crew whooped and shouted behind them in celebration, not particularly concerned with how innocent the kiss may have been. Letting go of the girls arm Hook took the registry from the chaplain. Smee appeared immediately at his elbow holding out a quill and taking the book to steady it so the captain could sign. The deed done Hook pressed the book back into the chaplain’s hands.  
  
“Smee, pay the man and see him off my ship. We have some celebrating to do.” At the mere mention of celebration the crew began to cheer again.  
  
Grinning Hook grabbed his bride and swept her up into his arms. The cheers of the crew only grew louder as he carried her back to his cabin. Kicking the door open he stepped inside just as the crew launched into a bawdy song about a bride on her wedding night. Nudging the door shut with his foot Hook crossed the cabin in a few quick steps and tossed the girl down onto his bed. The princess hit the bed with a squeak but recovered quickly and immediately scurried to the corner of the bed farthest from him. With a laugh Hook shed his jacket and tossed it onto a hook that jutted out of the cabin wall. Collapsing into his favorite chair, Hook rubbed his good hand over his eyes. It had been an exhausting day and in a bit he would have to go out there and celebrate with his crew, when what he really need was a good rest.  
  
Aurora sat curled up in her corner of the bed. From outside she could hear the sounds of the crew singing and cheering. Periodically voices would drop off, probably a sign they were busy drinking something. Everything hurt, and even though she had slept for so long, she felt so tired. Nothing about this day made sense. Swallowing carefully she screwed up her courage and spoke, “Excuse me, Captain? Are you, are you going to.” She had to stop before she could try again. “Are you going to be exercising your marital rights?”  
  
Hook let out a quick bark of laughter at the question and opened his eyes. He took a moment just to gaze at the girl and she was a girl. She barely looked old enough to be married and her reactions thus far suggested she had very little familiarity with men. Shaking his head he threw the girl one of his more roguish grins, “If I were ever to exercise my marital rights, as you so delicately put it, it would be with a bride who was a woman and not a damp little girl. Don’t worry princess, your virtue is safe for now.”  
  
With an indignant gasp Aurora sat up in her corner. Rolling back her shoulders she glared down her nose at the man, “I am not a damp little girl.” For a moment all her exhaustion was forgotten as righteous anger flowed into her. This man, this beast, had the nerve to call her a damp little girl. Not only did he insult but he had kidnapped her, dragged her around, bruised her person and forced her into some bizarre pirate ship marriage. She would not take it.  
  
Laughing Hook leaned back and rested his boots on his desk. “Oh but you are. A scared little flower who has never been far from her palace walls.”  
  
“Then why come and take me? Why all of this,” Aurora waved a hand as she searched for the proper word to describe the day, “This, madness.” She snapped the word at him and immediately pouted. The word had been bobbing around in her head and it was starting to feel tired.  
  
Smiling Hook tapped the fingers of his good hand against his leg. “I might as well tell you, I have nothing better to do. I have a reputation to maintain after all.”  
  
“A reputation?” Aurora squeaked out. She had a guess as to what that might mean but she really didn’t want to know. Sheltered as she had been, her parents hadn’t been able to stop her from overhearing all the palace gossip.  
  
“Let’s just say, that, you would leave this cabin well satisfied and bow legged.” Smirking Hook tilted his chair ever so slightly back. “But to answer your other question, there is a Duke. He has an interest in rare royalty, in particular queens. Curiously enough, when I asked him how I could acquire someone like that, he mentioned you. The poor little sleeping beauty, a princess with her own castle and now that her parents are long dead is in fact a queen. Which means that if I were to awaken and wed you, I would be King of the Sands and all that other nonsense you listed off and you would be a rare Queen.”  
  
The comment about her parents being dead hit her hard but at the same time left her unsurprised. While she didn’t know for precisely how long she had slept something inside of her had told her not to hope. She had prepared herself for this, even before she touched the spindle and she would have time to mourn later. Right now she needed to focus on the problem before her, the pirate. Narrowing her eyes Aurora shifted into a more comfortable position with her back still pressed firmly against the cabin wall. “What could be so important that you would go through all this trouble to get it?”  
  
Hook sat forward and made his chair legs smack into the wood of the deck. Dropping his legs to the ground he gave the princess a nasty smile. “That is none of your concern. All you need to worry about is smiling when we go to see the Duke tomorrow. Get some sleep, you look haggard.” Rising from his chair Hook went over to one of his shelves and pulled off a book.  
  
Flipping through the pages he began to studiously ignore Aurora as he tried to waste some more time. He hadn’t been lying when he said he had to protect his reputation. His men expected him to take full advantage of his rights and to not do so would raise concern. The idea left Hook feeling strangely cold inside, he did after all have his own code and fucking a sobbing, frightened girl did not to stiffen his cock, so he was going to leave her alone. When he went outside later he would put on a good show, talk about her smooth skin, her pert little breasts, tell them all she was tight as a vice and that she begged him for it.  
On the bed Aurora watched him like a mouse might watch a hawk. Slowly it became clear that he really wasn’t going to talk to her again. Sliding down in the bed Aurora slipped underneath the covers. Pulling them up high, she wrapped herself tightly and tried to fall asleep. The raucous noise from outside kept waking her up but eventually she was able to drift off.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________

At first she was cold and then she was falling and finally, she hit the floor. Aurora let out an angry little scream as the side of her face made contact with the hard wood. Rolling her head to the side she discovered a pair of black boots were right next to her nose.

“Rise and shine princess, we have things to do.” Hook tossed down a wadded up length of fabric and it landed heavily on top of Aurora. The man looked far too chipper for someone who had spent the evening carousing with a group of pirates.

Pushing herself up, Aurora tried to untangle herself from what she discovered to be a blue dress. Lifting it up she looked at it curiously and then raised her eyes to stare up at her new husband. “What is this?” She shook the dress at him.

“We’re going to see the Duke and seeing as how you are now a queen, you should look the part.” Grinning Hook went over to his chair and threw himself down in it. Leaning back he held up his hand and hook in a gesture that suggested she get on with it. Hook was prepared to enjoy the show, whatever sort of show it may turn out to be. 

“You want me to put this on? Now?” Aurora looked around the room but saw they were alone but with no way for her to have any sort of privacy. The thought of changing in front of this man felt strange, a man who previously professed to having no lustful intentions. Yet, here he was, grinning at her like he was going to enjoy the whole thing quite a bit more than he should. 

“Yes, now, we don’t have all day. Just put it on and we’ll be on our way. Look, I’ll even close my eyes,” Smiling Hook closed his eyes and waited for the sounds of rustling fabric. 

With a grumble Aurora rose from the floor. Turning around, at least if he opened his eyes then he wouldn’t see all of her, she quickly began to undo the laces on her dress. It proved difficult and there was much muttering with the occasional curse thrown in as she wrestled with the dress. Her governess would have been horrified to hear such words slip past her lips but it occurred to Aurora that her governess was probably dead so it didn’t matter. All of a sudden she felt something cold and metallic against her back. Nearly jumping, she whipped her around. Standing directly behind her was Hook. Her eyes widened as the man slowly and almost clinically began to untie all the laces along the back of her dress. He used his hook and fingers together in a dexterous little dance. When he was done he took a couple of steps back and closed his eyes again.

“Let me know when you need to me to the tie other one up.” There was laughter in his voice and it made Aurora’s cheeks burn with embarrassment. 

Shucking off the old dress Aurora kicked it aside. Toeing off her shoes she nudged them towards the dress. In just a couple quick, efficient movements she shed her stockings and added them to the pile of dirty clothing. Something inside of her rebelled at the idea of ever wearing the lavender dress again. It had been her burial shroud and then her wedding gown, now the only thing she wanted to do with it was burn it. The cold, damp of the cabin made her hiss and quickly redress in the long blue gown. It was a fine thing made of lace and silk with delicate patterns embroidered all over it. When she went to lace the ties in the back she found she couldn’t reach. Letting out a frustrated sigh she turned her head and looked back over her shoulder at the captain.

The man was still standing there, eyes closed, with a smirk fixed firmly upon his face. Seeming to sense her gaze, his eyes snapped open and he looked straight at her. With a widening grin Hook stepped forward and with that same tactile grace he had previously demonstrated, quickly laced her gown. Stepping back he spun her around and looked her up and down.

“You’ll do but you really should do something about your hair.” Shaking his head Hook gave her once last appraising look. Walking over to the door he picked up a pair of dainty slippers he had left there. “You can wear these. You have fifteen more minutes to finish readying yourself before we have to leave.” With that final word Hook strode out of the cabin and back onto the deck.

For a moment Aurora felt her lower lip quiver. Yesterday had seemed like an awful nightmare. The day something she dreamed up deep in her tortured curse sleep. Today though, with fresh sunlight and new clothes, it was just made all the more awful. Sniffing she slid her feet into the shoes and was surprised to find that they fit comfortably. Bringing up a finger to rub at her nose she made her way over to a looking glass that hung in the cabin.

Considering her reflection in the mirror Aurora reached up a hand and picked at her hair. She really did look like a mess. The dress was beautiful but her face looked tired and her hair looked as though all the creatures of the forest had been nesting in it. Very carefully Aurora picked up a brush, it was a curious thing, it looked like the sort of item that belonged to a lady but here it was beside Hook’s more masculine items. Setting the brush back down she began to the slow process of untangling the various jeweled ornaments from her hair. When she was done she selected the brush again and slowly began the familiar, comforting motions. 

She had never really done her own hair before, there had always been maids, and she didn’t know what to do with it. Once she was satisfied the tangles were out of it she picked up a ribbon that had been lying there beside the brush and tied her hair back. It made for a strange juxtaposition, the hair that made her look so much younger and the dress that made her look so much older. In that moment she longed for Flora, her little maid, who always used to do the most wonderful things with her hair. It had been Flora who readied her hair that final night. The realization hit her like a sudden storm. Flora, was likely dead. While she had understood what Hook had said about her parents being dead and she knew logically that meant her governess was dead, the thought of everyone being dead was just too overwhelming.

A wave of grief washed over her. Yesterday had been so strange and dreamlike that she hadn’t even stopped to think about it. Now it consumed her mind. The sound of the door crashing open covered up the first sob from her mouth. Hook strode into the room took one look at her and let out a bored sigh. 

“I can’t have you crying now. Save your tears for when we’re done.” Grabbing her wrist Hook hauled the princess along behind him.  
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Hook had procured a carriage for the ride to the Duke’s palace. Aurora didn’t ask where he had gotten it from and she wasn’t completely sure she wanted to know. The ride over did give her time to compose herself and Hook, oddly enough, helped. Every time she would start to sniff or even if she looked like she might cry he would let loose an aggravated sigh that immediately made her stop. Some part of her instantly rebelled against him and wanted to prove that she could be strong. This man, who treated her like some kind of strange doll, needed to know that she was a person and that she wouldn’t take this for much longer. At least, that was what she kept telling herself. 

By the time they arrived, Aurora felt like she could take on anything. When the carriage door opened she stepped out with all the grace and bearing of a Princess, nay, a Queen. Later she would cry for everyone she had lost, for now she would be a Queen and get through this ridiculous charade Hook had orchestrated. The man in question followed her out of the carriage and smirked at the footman who held the door. The Duke, of what Aurora still didn’t know, was a lesser noble famous for his peculiar and eccentric tastes and his palace reflected this. The entire building looked like some sort of strange dream carved out of sugar and gold leaf. A smartly dressed butler coughed to catch her attention and then proceeded to lead them inside.

The inside of the palace was no less impressive or surreal. They were lead through marble hallways with massive gold covered and painted decorations. Aurora had wanted to pause and study some of the decorations but Hook’s hand on her back kept urging her forward. Something about them made her deeply uncomfortable. When she did look up at Hook she noted that his face was solemn and his eyes were fixed firmly ahead. She could only assume that he had stopped to study them before and found them to be deeply displeasing. At the end of one of the hallways was a large red and gold door. With some considerable effort the butler opened it and ushered them into a drawing room covered in purple silk and silver filigree. 

Bowing deeply the butler backed out of the room. A strange giggling noise made Aurora and Hook turn around. Standing by a side table was a fat, balding man with more chins than Aurora thought one man could possibly possess. They each jiggled of their own accord when the man giggled a second time. 

“Forgive my butler for not introducing you but I so deplore those boring trivialities,” the Duke had a high pitched little voice. It crawled over Aurora’s skin and made her want to shiver. With one bejeweled finger the Duke gestured at Aurora. “I take it, that this is her? Did you bring any proof?” 

Sighing Hook reached into his pocket and tossed a little item at the Duke. The Duke caught it, somewhat inexpertly, and held it up to the light. At the sight of it, Aurora gasped.

“That’s mine…” was all she managed to get out before Hook fixed her with a dangerous looking glare.

“Yes, yes it is yours Princess or should I say Queen. No, your highness, yes it is yours, your highness.” The Duke smiled and seemed to ooze over to them. Picking up Aurora’s hand he slowly slid the ring onto her finger. As the Duke pressed a kiss to her hand Aurora had to resist the urge to shudder and pull away.

Looking up the Duke met her eyes and grinned. “Yes,” he said as he stroked her hand. “She is lovely, lovely and untouched.”

“Isn’t she though?” Hook leaned down so his face was near the Duke’s. “A fair trade I’d say.” 

“Oh yes, more than fair,” The Duke picked up Aurora’s hand again and slathered it with kisses. 

“My book?” Hook prompted the Duke not wanting the man to get too far off the track. 

The Duke merely nodded dreamily and pulled away from Aurora, his fingers lingering for as long as possible. Walking over to the side table, where he had first been standing, the Duke picked up the book and carried it back to Hook. The pirate took it with a smile and flipped through it checking its authenticity. As he examined his prize the Duke slid closer to Aurora again, one hand trailing up her arm. Biting down on her lip, Aurora’s eyes swept over to Hook. The man seemed completely engrossed in his new tome and oblivious to what was going on. When Hook did look up he just gave Aurora a little smile and a wink. Waving the book at the Duke one last time, Hook tucked it into his coat and turned, heading back for the door. Opening her mouth Aurora went to object but no sound came out. He was leaving her here. The awful bastard was leaving her here with this creepy little man.

Aurora felt a rush of anger fill her chest just as the Duke began to speak. “I’ve never had a Queen before, noble virgins are so hard to find these days, they’re all so,” the Duke paused before finally spitting out the word. “Dirty.”

Just at the door Hook paused and turned back around. “Did you say virgin?”

“Yes,” The Duke had a dreamy smile on his lips. “I do so love them. Untouched, pure.” The Duke brought up a hand and stroked it over Aurora’s cheek. Aurora recoiled from the touch, a grimace sliding across her face. 

“Well, strictly speaking, she’s no longer one. Was she supposed to be?” Hook had an innocent expression on his face as he looked over at the Duke. 

In an instant, the Duke withdrew his hand and took a large step backwards. His beady little eyes jumped between Aurora and Hook. “She’s not?” The Duke pointed an accusatory finger at Aurora. 

“You never said and well, she was my wife. What kind of pirate would I be if I hadn’t claimed that treasure?” Grinning Hook leaned against the great big doors. “You know if you really want to make her scream you should get yourself one of these.” Hook held up his left hand and wiggled the implement at the Duke. “She really has a thing for hooks.” 

The Duke blanched and for a moment looked like he might be ill, then he started to shriek. “Go! Go! GO!” Jumping up and down the Duke waved his arms. “Take her with you! Take her away! Awful, dirty, evil, lying child, take her away! Mortimer, MORTIMER! I touched her, I have to be cleansed.” Looking like he might start crying the Duke began to wave his hands about. The doors burst open, or as close as they could come to it, and the butler came hurrying in.

Hook took the opportunity to grab Aurora by the wrist and pulled her out of the room. The two raced through the palace halls with Hook laughing all the way. Aurora had to wrap her dress up in her free hand so that she would not get caught in it. Her heart pounding the entire time they dashed down the hall. Whistling at the coachman and footman they practically leaped into the coach and were on their way before the coach doors had even closed. Aurora collapsed onto the bench on the far side of the coach her heart thudding in her chest. For a few terrible moments, she had believed that Hook was going to leave her there with that fat little man. On the other side of the carriage Hook was wiping at his eyes his laughter still subsiding.

“Did you see his face?” Hook snickered and wiped at his face again. “I’ve never seen a grown man turn that color before.” Shaking his head Hook leaned back against the carriage.

“That was your plan all along?” Aurora stared at Hook her mouth agape in shock.

“That fat little bastard sent me on some merry little treasure hunt and marriage scheme just so he could fuck a virgin queen, like I was some common errand boy. He had it coming.” Smirking Hook crossed his arms over his chest. “You played your part very well, you do dumbstruck princess perfectly.”

Like a volcano blowing its top Aurora launched herself across the coach at Hook. “You awful, horrible, deceitful, cruel, conniving…” The litany of foul terms was never ending as Aurora jumped on top of the pirate and began to beat on him with her fists. “How dare you! I am the Princess of the Sands! My kingdom is one of the largest in the realm! I am worth more than some joke and a dumb book,” Aurora hit Hook particularly hard around the ear.

With only one good hand it was difficult to wrangle a struggling girl but Hook was a strong man and had some practice. Getting both her arms behind her back Hook held her wrists in one hand. They were tiny wrists, dainty. Trying not to laugh, he locked eyes with the princess as she glared at him with the full force of her rage, her chest heaving.

“Now, now princess. Don’t get too worked up. Besides, this has all worked out for you. I woke you from your curse, I didn’t let the awful little Duke have his way with you and now you’re free.” Hook smirked at the girl.

“Free?” Aurora said the word like it was some strange concept. It even sounded foreign on her lips.

“Free. Do what you want. Go back to your castle, build a new castle, find yourself a real prince. I promise not to tell him you’re already married.” Laughing Hook let Aurora go and pushed her back to her bench. It seemed like she wasn’t going to hit him again. Just in case, he kept his hand at the ready. 

“Go?” Aurora had never thought of going anywhere before. No one had ever told her she could just go before. 

“Wherever you want,” Hook said with a grin.

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Hook watched Cora leave the beach. They had completed their business and he was glad to see the back of her. She was a necessary evil and unfortunately, had a place in his current life. The sound of boots crunching over sand made him turn his head to look at the newcomer. A woman approached him, moving gracefully across the beach. She was slight, barely reaching his shoulder, and dark-haired. Dressed in leather and glimmering fabrics, her hair adorned with ribbons and beads, she looked like some sort of fairy creature that had escaped from the deep woods. The woman, who in appearance could better be described as a girl, laid one small hand on his shoulder and studied Cora’s retreating form. A thoughtful frown creased her mouth. 

“She can’t be trusted.” The words had a haughty quality to them. It didn’t matter how long she sailed on a pirate ship, there just seemed to be certain things that she could not shed. Every word that she spoke always seemed to carry the weight of a decree. 

“Who said that I trusted her?” Turning Hook smiled down at his companion. 

Bringing a hand up he cupped the back of her head, the fingers of his good hand threading loosely through her hair. He loved her hair, the scent, the texture of it against his skin, all of it called to him on a visceral level. There had been an incident, involving the Lost Boys, where a good chunk of it had been cut off it and he had mourned until it grew back. She did not have a face for short hair, hers was a beauty that was meant to be framed by long curls.

“You’re putting a lot of faith in her.” There was a petulant, distrustful quality to the words. Jealousy was not of unheard of between them but this was a new thing. This reeked of a kind of discontent that had simmered between them for ages.

“Don’t pout princess. She is merely a means to an end. Once,” pausing in his speech Hook turned more towards his companion. Tilting Aurora’s head up he leaned down towards her. “I have skinned my crocodile, you and I shall finally have our happy ending.” They were words he had said before and it was a promise that had long gone unfulfilled.

“Back to Neverland?” The girl raised an eyebrow. This song was an old one and it was a tired one. 

“Wherever we want to go, maybe even somewhere in this new world of Cora’s.” Bending down Hook pressed a hungry kiss to Aurora’s mouth. She didn’t fight the kiss but she pulled away quickly, not allowing him to linger.

“Do you really need to kill him? To go through all of this?” Aurora waved a hand in the direction Cora had left. In one hand gesture she seemed to imply revenge, blood lust and dead love. It was an impressive hand gesture, after all, she had the finest tutor in expressive hand gestures available. 

“I have to. I can’t let him live after what he did to me.” Hook released his hold on Aurora and leaned back away from her. “I have spent centuries planning this, I will not give up now.” 

“But this quest of yours has only ever brought you pain. Can’t you see that?” Holding out her hands Aurora went to embrace Hook but the man just pulled farther away. 

“It brought me you,” Hook slowly looked Aurora up and down as though to suggest she was both something more than pain and a physical manifestation of all his pain. 

Swallowing Aurora laid a hand gently on his arm. “Killian, vengeance only brings more vengeance. You’ve let it rule your life for so long. This could be our chance to be free of all of it. Instead of killing your crocodile we could go somewhere in this new world. Begin a new in a place that carries no bad memories.” 

These were words she had said to him before, this scene an old one, well rehearsed but they seemed to keep coming back to it. Even now she tried to persuade him away from the path he knew they had to take. For a moment Hook looked like he might consider it. It wasn’t often Aurora used his true name, and for this reason, it always carried a strangely heavy weight. 

In the end, he shook his head. “No, I can never be free until I kill him. I owe that to her.” Pausing Hook bit down on his lower lip. “Go change, we’ll be playing the merchant and the young wife. You look too much like a pirate.” Hook shook Aurora’s arm loose and turned away from her. 

“You used to say I looked like a princess,” Aurora shot back at the man before spinning on her heel and stalking away across the beach back to their encampment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People get eaten by mermaids in this chapter. If that bothers you, turn away now.

“What is that?” With a suspicious look in her eyes, Aurora considered the fabric bundle dangling from the captain’s hook. 

“These, my dear, are called britches. I’m sure you’ve seen them before and you are now going to wear them.” Hook thrust the rough brown, woolen trousers towards Aurora. He wanted to make the girl come over to him. 

“No, I don’t think I will and I don’t see why I need to.” Aurora crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the pirate across the length of the cabin. There, relationship, was turning into a battle of wills.

It had been just over a month since Aurora had been awoken and they had come to Neverland. In that time Aurora hadn’t seen all that much beyond the ship. Hook had said she shouldn’t go far, for her own safety, and that the islands of Neverland were filled with many dangers. Even though Aurora knew this to probably be true, she had, after all, seen that giant crocodile swim past the ship one day, some part of her still longed to go beyond the beach, to enter into the dense forests and climb the mist covered mountains. The beach had been a fine adventure, at first. She had spent days doing nothing but watching the waves come crashing in as she picked up shells. It had been something totally new but now the novelty had worn off and she wanted more. She had gotten a taste of the world beyond and now she was addicted to it.

“Well, for a start, you’re a freeloader on this ship and it is time you earned your keep.” With a flick of his wrist Hook tossed the pants hitting Aurora square in the face with them. He had to bite down on his lip swiftly to keep from laughing. Never had he imagined his aim to be quite that good.

The princess let out a squawk of indignation and yanked them down immediately. At the site of the pirates grinning face, she glared with the force of an angry volcano. “How dare you?” She sputtered out her hands gripping the clothing item tightly. The man played at having manners but he was really nothing more than a cad. 

“I dare because, how do I saw this in a way that doesn’t sound repetitive?” Hook paused tapping the end of his hook on his chin. “Ah, yes, I am captain of this ship. The only rules and laws here are the ones I make. You agreed to that when you got onboard this ship. So put on the pants.” Waving his hook at the pants, the captain slowly turned around, to give Aurora the illusion of privacy. It wasn’t the first time he had done this, so she should be used to the little song and dance by now. 

Feeling particularly rebellious Aurora simply crossed her arms and began to tap her foot in irritation. She was sure she could out wait the pirate, she had slept for nearly sixty years. Somehow, even with his back turned, Hook still managed to radiate smugness and control. After nearly fifteen minutes his head tilted slightly to the side, for a moment she thought he might be giving in.

“You know, if you never put those one you’ll never get to see anything beyond the beach.” Grinning Hook turned so the back of his head was completely facing her again.

“And why is that?” Aurora replied crossly.

“That dress of yours is a pretty thing but it’s getting threadbare and in a jungle such as that it will likely be torn to pieces. Do you really want to come back to a pirate ship wearing the barest tatters of your old dress?” Hook let out a short bark of laughter at the mental image his description conjured up. She would, being a princess, try to hold onto her dignity with iron claws and probably walk onto the ship naked with her head held high if it came to that. Now that would really be a sight and Hook let out a soft low whistle at the thought. 

With a snort Aurora looked down at her dress. She was still wearing that blue dress Hook had first given her. Reaching down a hand she plucked idly at a couple loose strings. Almost immediately a hole began to appear as a section of the dress began to unravel. Gasping Aurora dropped the trousers to grope helplessly at the fabric but it was too late. There was now a fist-sized hole right over her thigh. Through the hole she could see the top edge of her stockings. Whimpering Aurora looked from the hole down to the britches on the floor. She didn’t really want to wear them but her dress really was in no fit state to be worn. The worst part was that the insufferable man was right. She hated it when he was right.

Sighing Aurora bent down and grabbed the trousers off the floor. Rubbing a hand gently over them, she winced at the coarse feeling of the fabric on her skin. Then it hit her, like a very slowly moving cart, “What am I supposed to wear with these? I cannot wear just trousers.”

Hook snapped his fingers like a man who has had a sudden realization and turned around smirking at her. For a moment a look of disappointment flashed across his eyes, almost like he had expected to see her standing there wearing nothing but the trousers. His mouth turned down in discontent for a moment but he quickly recovered and walked over to the wardrobe that had been built into the side of the ship. Throwing it open, he reached inside and extracted a dark colored shirt. Tossing it to Aurora, Hook went back to standing in his position, facing away and giving her some more supposed privacy. 

Grumbling Aurora began to undo the complicated ties on the back of her dress. She had gotten quite proficient at this part and could actually take off and put on the dress all on her own. It had been an embarrassing week or so when she still needed Hook’s help. When the dress hit the floor Aurora considered what to do about her shift and stays. The shift was a simple, sleeveless linen piece that only reached her knees. It wasn’t good for much but she slept in it and when no one else was around she would strip down it and run through the waves on the beach. Deciding against keeping it on, Aurora undid the ties on her stays and set them carefully laid them aside. Stripping off her shift she also laid it aside for later. Picking up Hook’s shirt she slid it on easily over her head before retrieving her stays. For a moment Aurora caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and she thought she looked like one of the serving girls from the castle. Sighing Aurora bent down and pulled on the trousers. In the end, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she thought she looked quite ridiculous. The clothes were oversized and they fit in odd ways. A cough from Hook caught her attention. 

“Are you done yet Princess?” Hook called from his position near the front of the cabin.

“Yes,” Aurora replied softly. Squaring her shoulders she faced the pirate. 

Hook had swiftly turned around but was still giving her a slow appraisal. Finally he waved a finger at her. “Missing one thing.” Turning Hook walked over to the cabin door and bent down picking up a pair of short, ugly boots. He tossed them to Aurora. “Put those on.”

“You sir, are the world’s worst fairy godmother,” Aurora grumbled and sat down on the cabin floor so she could put on the unfamiliar shoes.

“Madam, I am no fairy godmother.” Hook replied with a glare.

“Oh but you are, trust me, I would know, I had a dozen.” Aurora yanked on the shoe with a little bit more vehemence than absolutely necessary.

“Be that as it may,” Hook carefully cleared his throat. “I doubt your fairy godmothers ever expected you to do what I have planned.” 

“And what would that be?” Rising up Aurora dusted the dirt off her backside. 

Smiling Hook practically skipped over to the cabin door. Pulling it open he reached outside and grabbed a hold of something. That something turned out to be a broom and a rag. Both of which he tossed at Aurora. She managed to catch the rag but the broom clattered to the floor. 

“What is this? And yes, I do know that this is a rag and that is a broom.” Aurora waved the rag at him.

“Well Princess, at first I was content to let you just lay about, enjoy the sights.” Hook gestured about as he strolled across the cabin towards her. “But as I said, if you’re going to be a permanent fixture, then it is time my dear, for you to start pulling your weight. So,” Hook paused and looked around the cabin with a smug grin on his face. “I want this place spotless before you go running off to play adventurer in the jungle.”  
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Aurora walked in a dejected manner along the sands of the beach, her feet dragging with every step, as she approached the small tent. It wasn’t much to look at, just a few tarps being held aloft by rough supports, and barely tall enough for Hook to stand up straight in when he entered. For their purposes, though, it seemed to work. They slept in it, kept their things inside of it and it gave them a place to sit out the weather while they waited to hear word from Cora. When Cora had finally deigned to send word, through the questionable means of bird messenger, Hook had made them move the tiny tent closer to the survivor’s encampment. The beach made a poor place to camp but it had only been for a few days. Reaching the tent, Aurora jerked aside the rough canvas and stepped inside. There were two small stools sitting by the entrance, a pile of blankets in the center and a couple small bags of supplies on the far side. No, it certainly was not much to look at. 

Slowly Aurora stripped off the leather and embroidered silks that she had worn for so long. It always seemed to come back to this, almost like it was some bad joke, her life would change and so would her clothes. When she had first arrived in Neverland, her wardrobe had been nothing more than the blue lace dress Hook had given to her to wear before the Duke. Over time, and with some prodding, it had evolved and eventually become something that more resembled Hook’s own clothing, than anything Aurora had worn in the past. Still none of it had felt quite like her. The dresses she had worn as a girl had never felt quite right and the britches of a pirate never seemed to match either. Aurora often found herself wondering if she would ever truly discover something that made her feel completely like herself. Carefully she folded her clothes and set them aside. Pulling out a simple dress from her pack, she began the process of disguising herself. 

Something in Aurora rebelled at the idea of fooling these people. They didn’t deserve to be tricked, they were innocents, and fellow lost souls. Yet, she had been with Killian for so long and he had seen her through so much, it was hard not to follow his lead, even if she did fight it the entire time. Reaching up a hand she began the slow process of carefully unthreading all the little bits of decoration that she had worked into her hair. Pulling a comb from deep within her bag she began the slow process of working through the tangles. The sound of someone approaching didn’t make her look. She knew who it was. He always loved to watch her brush her hair. Once he had tried to do it himself but found it difficult with the hook. Now, he just watched. Not feeling like putting on a show for him tonight, she finished braiding her hair with a few efficient movements. Setting down the comb, Aurora finally turned to look at him. 

“How do I look?” Aurora held out her arms and did a slow twirl showing off the rough spun peasant dress. It was a truly unflattering shade of green and the shift underneath it was nearly yellow. The whole effect made her look downright sickly. 

“Like you’ve never danced at a ball, swam with mermaids or beat a blue bearded pirate captain in a drinking contest. Bravo, you are the picture of peasantry.” Hook gave Aurora a slow clap, his hand didn’t make much noise as it hit the hook, and the smirk on his lips was one of the more friendly variants. 

“A point of order, I have never actually gone swimming with mermaids.” Holding up one finger Aurora pointed out the small flaw in his statement. Yet her jovial manner didn’t last long, a worried little frown creased her mouth and her voice took on a more serious tone. “I still don’t think we should do this. They might know a way back to their world, we wouldn’t have to rely on Cora, though I do think rely is the probably the worst word for it. Is there are a word for, making sure Cora isn’t ripping out our hearts as she jumps through the portal without us?” Hands planted firmly on her hips Aurora began to tap her foot in a slow methodical manner. It was the sort of tap intended to drive men, specifically husbands, mad. 

Rising slowly from his seated position Hook, shrugged on an ugly jerkin overtop his regular clothes, pretending to ignore the incessant tapping. “This is what has to be done. Cora is our best chance and we can’t give up our best chance.”

Aurora’s lower lip slid forward, her expression becoming one of barely contained annoyance, before she finally let out a short, clipped sigh of resignation. “Fine. Let us just go and get this over with. I want this part of our lives to be done with.” 

“After you, m’lady,” with a dramatic bow and a teasing smirk, Hook waved Aurora towards the entrance of their tent, in a mockery of a butler they had once known long ago. 

Barely restraining the desire to roll her eyes Aurora strode out into the early morning light with all the grace of a princess, her bag of supplies hanging over her shoulder. For a moment Hook paused and just watched her walk away. His hand unconsciously gripped tight on the fabric of the little tent they had erected. For a moment, something cold and dark, not unlike fear, gripped in his chest. The image of Aurora walking away from him was a haunting one. Swiftly Hook let go of the tent and spun around. Grabbing his own bag of supplies, he made to follow her. It was an easy thing, to abandon the tent, eventually nature would wash it all away. 

As Hook hurried after Aurora, she was surprisingly fast for someone with such short legs, he began to review the plan. One could never be too careful or too prepared when it came to such things. The ruse was to be a simple one, poor merchant and his wife, far from home because of the curse and desperate to get back. Hook felt quite confident that even though Aurora didn’t want to play the part, that only a heartless monster could deny her sweet face when she began to look teary eyed. Between his clever words and her tearful expressions, they would easily be well on their way to this Storybrooke place.  
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Aurora perched herself high atop a rock overlooking Mermaids’ Lagoon. The crew of the ship had told her many wild tales about the transformation the mermaids went under at the turn of the moon. Various crewmen claimed they uttered strange wailing cries and that the lagoon became a danger to all mortals. The longer Aurora stayed in Neverland and aboard the Jolly Roger, the more adventurous she became. Today she could no longer resist the temptation to find out what really went on in the lagoon. Stories no longer satisfied her curiosity or satiated her desire for adventure. She had visited the lagoon many times during the day and seen the lovely rock pools full of women, splashing at one another. The lagoon had been one of the first things she had explored after leaving the beach. It was only a short trek through the jungle from Pirates Cove and as long as she kept her distance, she was relatively safe.

While the mermaids favored Peter Pan and tolerated the Lost Boys they had no love for any other humans. On one of her earliest trips to the Lagoon she had witnessed the mermaids drowning one of the men from the tribes who lived on the smaller islands, purely out of spite. The mermaids had hid when they heard the man approaching and when he had gone to take a drink from the pool they had pulled him under. It had been horrific and Aurora had fled back to the ship and spent the rest of the week just lurking in the captain’s cabin. Hook had eventually become frustrated with her and sent her off to go wandering in the forest on the other side of the island to look for fruits. 

Today, though, Aurora was feeling brave. She was going to go through with this and see whether or not what the sailors said was actually true. Leaning out over the peek of her rock she surveyed the lagoon. Towards the horizon the sun was just beginning to set and it bathed the lagoon in a warm light. Bands of pink, purple, red and orange danced across the darkening water. The mermaids were all perched on their own rocks, staring fixedly at the setting sun, waiting for something. There was a sense of urgency and desperation in the air. Gripping the edge of her rock, Aurora made herself as flat along its surface as possible. Even from a distance she could perceive the quivering of anticipation within the mermaids. As the sun dipped below the horizon even more mermaids began to appear, crawling out of the water and onto the rocks that jutted up from the depths of the lagoon.

On the far side of the lagoon Aurora spotted what looked to be something rustling in the bushes. Squinting she tried to get a better look but the swiftly dimming light obscured her vision. It didn’t take long before the moon began to rise, bathing the lagoon in pale glowing light. It was the moonrise that brought about the first troubling change. First, it was a soft sound, like a wolf howling in the distance, there was something haunting in it but warm. Then the howl turned into a snarl. Aurora’s eyes focused on the mermaids as they began to writhe on the rocks. Their limbs jerked as they snorted and growled. Eyes widening Aurora watched in horror as their fins stretched to become longer, heavier, and more ragged looking. Their beautiful tales, which had sparkled in the sun like jewels, became rough looking and the scales crept up their bodies, marring their normally smooth skin. With the twisting of their fingers came claws and jagged looking growths on their arms and shoulders. Their jaws distended and fangs appeared where blunt teeth had once been.

When the horrible transformation was finally over with, they looked less like shining gems of the sea and more like beasts wretched from the deepest of pits. As one they lifted their heads into the air and began to scent at it like dogs. Swiftly Aurora bit down on her bottom lip to prevent a soft whimper from escaping. She watched as they began to slide off their rocks and into the water. They glided across the lagoon as silent and deadly as sharks. Surfacing again they scented the air, their heads moving from side to side as one. As a pack the mermaids turned and moved towards Aurora’s hiding place. Gasping Aurora slowly crawled back away from the edge of her rock. She didn’t think they could get her, she was high up on the cliff side and they didn’t like to go far from the water, but she wasn’t sure. Not anymore. Then the rustling noise came again. On the far side of the lagoon a few of the men of the islands emerged from the bushes carrying long spears with hooked points and harpoons decorated with feathers.

Their presence distracted the mermaids who immediately spun around to investigate the threat. Hissing, grunting and snarling the mermaids turned on the tribesmen and shot across the lake. Spears and harpoons began to rain down but the mermaids dove down and avoided them. The occasional bloom of blood rose to the surface let Aurora know that at least some of the spear points were hitting their targets. Very carefully Aurora began to move away again when all of a sudden a heavy presence prevented her. Whipping her head around Aurora looked straight into the eyes of Hook. He had a thunderous look on his face and he shook his head when she went to speak. Hook lay down, his body almost covering Aurora’s, a heavy coat draped over both of them.

Leaning in close he pressed his mouth against her ear and said, “Do not move, do not make a sound.” 

Aurora nodded but then the screams started. She went to open her mouth but his good hand clamped down over it. While she couldn’t see anything, the ripping and tearing sounds that accompanied the screams, let Aurora know all she needed. The mermaids were devouring the men. Closing her eyes Aurora pressed her face against the rock and tried not to cry but all her wishing could not stop the tears. They streamed down her face and wet the rock, silent sobs shaking her body. She and Hook lay there for the rest of the night. Barely moving as the sounds of screams echoed around them. When dawn finally began to break through the dark of the night, it stopped. No great chorus signaled the change, the world just went silent. Then there was a heavy, wet sound as the mermaids retreated back into the lagoon. They would return to their coral caves to rest out the day and night and tomorrow return to their rocks. It would be as though nothing had happened.

Once he was sure they were safe, Hook rose and pulled Aurora up with him. He gave her a dark look and said simply, “If you ever do anything like that again, I will leave you here to die.” Spinning on his heel Hook strode off, leaving Aurora shaking, her face still wet with tears, in the new day sun.

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In a single file line, the small group trudged through the thick undergrowth of the forest. At the front was a noble looking young man, swathed in armor and a fine cloak. Directly behind him were two women, both in garb foreign to those lands, one in pink and the other dark brown. Bringing up the rear was a woman with dark hair dressed in heavily decorated armor. The events of the past few days weighed heavily upon the little group and no words passed between them as they continued their slow march. Suddenly there was a soft rustling noise in the undergrowth, Phillip, the young man at the front of the group, held up a hand signaling the others to stop. 

Almost as one, the group ground to a halt and looked around warily. Breaking, cracking and crunching noises in the undergrowth alerted them to some sort of approaching creature. Then, like a doe emerging from a thicket, a young woman with brown hair, wearing a spectacularly unflattering dress, appeared out of a thick clutch of bushes. Behind her, following somewhat awkwardly, came a man with dark hair wearing an oversized tunic. The pair nearly crashed into each other when they saw the group of strangers standing in the small clearing. 

“Oh,” the word slipped from the girl’s mouth and her eyes widened in surprise. Instinctively her hand went back and grabbed at the man’s arm. There was just a hint of play-acting in the gesture, like it was something expected but not completely natural. 

Lifting his eyes, the man stared at the group. With varying degrees of suspicion and distrust the foursome eyed the couple back. They hadn’t seen any people, save Cora, since they had left the encampment to journey to Snow White’s castle. It seemed odd and troubling, that they would suddenly run into two other travelers, while out in the forest on their return journey. Watching, like cats eying prey, they observed the newcomers.

“Please, are you warriors? We are in desperate need of assistance,” The man spoke first, his voice tinged with desperation. He held out an empty hand, few large rings gleamed on his fingers, as a beseeching look appeared on his face.

“You don’t say,” drawled Emma. Everything about this world had put her on high alert and this scruffy looking guy made the hairs on the back of her neck tingle. There was just something a bit too forced about the exchange, too immediate. 

“You must help us, we were trying to get home but every day is fraught with some new horror.” The man paused, worrying at his lower lip. “Please, I can, I can pay you,” with a desperate look in his eyes, the man began to fish around in his tunic. He pulled out a small black bag and shook it at them, there was the distinct sound of rattling coins from within. “Please, we just wish to go home.” 

Slowly the four turned and looked at each other. Mulan barely lifted a brow, deferring to Phillip who looked between Snow White and Emma for some sort of clue as to how to proceed. Finally, it was Snow who took the initiative, stepping forward with a tight smile on her face. 

“We’ve also been traveling for a while, why don’t we all make camp here and you can tell us what happened to you.” Snow smiled again but it wasn’t a nice smile. It was the sort of smile that suggested she would not tolerate being lied to.  
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It didn’t take long for the group to put together a camp. Mulan kept a watchful eye on the young woman, as she helped gather firewood with Snow White. Phillip and Emma elected to keep watch over the man. The group all made note of his missing left hand but no one felt like asking what had happened, yet. When a suitable campsite had been assembled, it was mostly just a fire with a few blankets thrown down on the ground for comfort, the group settled in. The man and the young woman sat on one side of the fire, flanked by Emma and Mulan, while Phillip and Snow White sat opposite on the. Immediately Emma pressed the man, who still hadn’t told them his name, for his story. 

“Thank you so much for stopping to speak with us. I can not even begin to tell you about the numerous terrors we have witnessed.” Pausing the man drew in a shaking breath. Closing his eyes for a moment, he laid his good hand on his chest and tried to calm himself. Opening his eyes again he turned towards Emma with a slight smile on his face, “I fear I have been terribly rude when you have already done more than you had to. My name is Killian Jones and this is my wife, Briar Rose. What are all your names?” The man, Killian, looked around hopefully at the group, a bright but anxious smile on his face. Briar Rose remained mute and merely leaned against her husband. There was a strange sort of look in her eyes, something tired and frustrated, but that could have just been from the journey. 

It was Phillip who spoke up first, clearing his throat and trying to sound older than he was. “I am Prince Phillip of the Kingdom of the Mountains, this is Snow White, Queen of the Plains, her daughter the Princess Emma and Fa Mulan, a warrior from the distant lands beyond the eastern wall.” 

“Her daughter?” Killian’s face was one of utter shock as he looked between Snow White and Emma.

“It’s a long story.” Snow White supplied, making a cutting motion with her hand to indicate that he wasn’t to press any further.

“Such exotic places, you have all traveled so far,” Briar Rose’s voice was soft and she plucked at a loose string on her husband’s sleeve in a distracted manner. Her response pulled the conversation away from the issue of mother and daughter looking to be nearly the same age. The group’s attention focused on the young looking woman but she seemed to only be half paying attention and spoke the words as though reading from a script. Briar Rose’s one quiet, little comment was enough to draw Emma’s attention and she instantly zeroed in on the girl. 

“How about you tell us where you’re from?” Emma eyed the girl carefully. There was something not quite right there, the girl was both present and yet not. Every now and again Emma would catch this little look where Briar Rose seemed to be sizing a member of the group up. 

“It is a distance realm, we were traveling, I am a merchant you see or I was, rather,” Killian broke into the conversation, coughing uncomfortably. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Aurora but she wasn’t keen on the plan and he wasn’t sure she could keep up a believable ruse. Already she was beginning to show more than vague disinterest and that was always a bad sign. Her vague disinterest had once nearly gotten them killed at the hands of a rather irate magistrate. 

“We had been on a voyage and we were traveling home, laden with the finest bounty, when our ship was struck by a terrible purple smoke. It felt like years before we awoke and we found ourselves on a beach that we had never seen before. The ship was gone and we were left stranded with our crew. We tried to make our way home but our people have been slowly picked off by all the new dangers in these lands.” Killian sighed and made a show of gesturing at his stump. “We just wish to get home to our realm.”

“Do you have a plan for how you’re going to accomplish that?” Emma crossed her arms over her chest, believing only about half of what she was being told. The way the man, Killian, spoke was confusing. He would interweave a truth with a lie, sometimes he’d start with a lie bring in some truth and then finish it off with another lie. It was almost as though he was knitting himself a neat little lie scarf, so that you couldn’t tell where the lie ended and the truth began. Warning bells were going off in Emma’s head, it was all just too convenient to be believed. 

“Well, I had a compass that would guide us between realms and that was how we used to travel.” Killian paused, gesturing to indicate that the compass had been a truly great loss. “With a little fairy dust to aid us, our ship could slip through existing holes between the realms. You see, there are these fissures, if you will, made in the fabric of the universe by people who had traveled through before. I was familiar with a few such paths and they allowed my crew, my wife and I to travel from port to port.” Reaching over Killian gave his wife’s hand a gentle squeeze. His wife, Briar Rose, lifted her eyes for a moment and gave him a sweet smile. Though as Killian stared into his wife’s eyes he recoiled slightly at something he saw there.

“Where’s this compass now?” Tapping a finger on her leg, Emma eyed the joined hands carefully. It was a natural act, sure, but there was something in it that suggested they weren’t totally comfortable with showing affection in front of others. That was something Emma was familiar with.

“Lost, I’m afraid. All that’s left of what we had is the clothes on our backs and the few supplies we’ve been able to scavenge.” Sighing heavily, the so-called merchant leaned against his wife’s shoulder, in an act of comfort. His wife turned her head and gave him a very chaste kiss on the brow. “But,” he perked up for a moment, his eyes lighting up with promise. “Legend does say that the giants, the ones who once made magic realm traveling beans, possessed compasses such as the one I had. In fact the man I originally purchased mine from claimed that was where he got it from.” 

“Magic beans and giants with compasses?” Emma couldn’t stop her eyebrow from creeping upward as she eyed the man. She knew she was in the fairy tale kingdom and that this was in fact a magic forest and all of that other once upon a time nonsense but sometimes she just couldn’t believe it. The ogre had been bad enough but this was definitely stretching it. 

“Yes, surely you’ve heard of them? They came from this realm.” Killian smiled innocently at Emma. Leading people to the right answers wasn’t always easy, especially when they had creases in their brows that suggested they spent their lives glaring suspiciously at others. While it would be so much simpler to just come out and explain to the little group exactly what Killian wanted them to do, they needed to come to those conclusions on their own. 

“I have heard of such stories, they say Jack killed the giants and that there are no more beans.” Phillip’s eyes kept drifting back to the young wife of the merchant. There was something about her that was oddly familiar to him. It was like something out of a half remembered dream. 

In his head, Killian said a small blessing to whatever deity might be listening for filling the realms with dimwitted princes. “Yes but you don’t need the beans. What you really need is the compass. The beans created portals but there are portals aplenty if you know where to look. The compass can help you find the portals and navigate them back to wherever you want to go.” Killian supplied the information in a helpful tone. He left out a few key details but they didn’t need to know that. After all, the whole purpose of this little exercise was to learn about Storybrooke and then to let them help him get the compass for Cora. The woman truly detested manual labor. 

“Let me guess, you know where to find one of these magical compasses and you’ll even let us use it, if, and this is the big if, we help you get home?” Emma glared across the fire at the man. This guy was trouble and she didn’t trust him for a second. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he really wanted, even if he was trying to play at being innocent.

“It would be to the benefit of everyone here. Once we have gotten home we will have no need of the compass and then you could use it to come back here or perhaps go somewhere else if that is your desire.” Killian smiled sweetly at Emma, not at all put off by the dark looks she was sending him. He couldn’t outright mention Storybrooke but he needed a way into that conversation. 

Emma went to let loose a colorful retort in Killian’s direction but Snow White quickly cut her off. “I think perhaps we should take a moment to discuss your proposal. In private.” Smiling Snow rose and waved a hand at the others indicating that they should follow her. When they didn’t immediately get up she jerked her head in a meaningful manner towards a little group of trees not far away.  
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The foursome stood huddled together, half hidden by a semi-circle of trees. While it was close enough that it allowed them to keep the couple insight, it was far enough away that it prevented them from being overheard. 

“Who here wants to call bullshit? Does anyone else think that all of this is just a bit too damn convenient?” Emma looked around at the others and only Mulan nodded in immediate agreement.

“Cora has fooled us before, this could just be another one of her tricks.” Mulan added in support of Emma. 

The discovery of Lancelot’s death and that particular deceit by Cora, lingered in everyone’s minds. For Mulan, the wound was especially stinging, she had long felt that she had good instincts and she had always relied on them. To discover that she had been so completely deceived had shaken how she viewed herself. She didn’t trust these newcomers either and she wouldn’t, not until they had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they could be trusted. The couple already was skating on thin ice because of their initial meeting. In all her time spent wandering the lands with Phillip, searching for the lost castle of the Sands, people had never just appeared out of the woods like that. 

“Yes but they could also be innocents. We have found many innocents in our journeys together Mulan,” Phillip could not help but want to see the good in people. Like any good prince he had a soft spot for injured looking maidens. Conveniently, Phillip seemed to be forgetting that usually when they found innocents, they were huddled together somewhere in fear.

“Briar Rose,” Snow White muttered to herself only half paying attention to what the others were discussing. She was floating on the fringes of the conversation, her mind focused elsewhere, trying to solve a riddle that only she had seen.

“And we have also found many who seek to take advantage of others in these troubled times. We need to be sure their intentions are pure. I think we should question the girl separately.” Mulan looked back over at the slight pale figure, something about the girl rubbed her the wrong way. 

“He really doesn’t let her talk much doesn’t he? Maybe she’s not down with the plan or maybe she’s his prisoner?” Emma worried her bottom lip. A hundred different possible scenarios raced through her head. None of them were particularly pleasant but something kept bothering her. There had been genuine, albeit brief, affection between the two. They weren’t faking that, it was just everything else that seemed wrong and off. No matter how hard she tried to shake it, Emma couldn’t get away from that niggling feeling deep down inside of her that something else was going on. Mulan, who had positioned herself on Emma’s right side, nodded in agreement and to Emma’s left was Snow, who just kept muttering to herself as the others talked. Occasionally Emma would give her odd looks but the blond was more focused on trying to persuade Phillip to her side of the issue. 

“I do agree that, perhaps, questioning the girl separately is a way to get to the truth but we should be gentle. He may be holding her against her will.” Phillip looked imploring at the two stern women. Even though Phillip knew that women could be strong, the three he traveled with more than proof of that, he also felt they should be protected and looked after. His instincts and a lifetime of stern lessons told him to be gentle with women. 

“Briar Rose,” Snow tapped a finger against her chin saying the name more loudly this time. Something about that name was niggling at her. Chewing on her lip, she began to worry a little raw spot into the skin.

“What?” Emma looked over at Snow confused. The dark haired woman had been muttering about that name the entire time and it was starting to get on Emma’s already frayed nerves. 

“There’s just something about that name. It’s driving me crazy and I can’t think of, oh, oh,” Snow looked over at the girl suddenly, her head snapping around. Her hands gesticulated wildly in the air and an excited look appeared in her eyes. “Emma, you saw ‘Sleeping Beauty’ right? The Disney movie?” 

“Is that the one where she sings with the birds and those fat, little ladies keep changing her dress color?” Emma looked confused for a moment not sure where this was going. She had vague memories of that movie, at the group homes they often sat kids down in front of ‘appropriate’ films in order to keep them occupied for hours. 

“Yes! That one. In the movie, well, they got it all wrong, but,” Snow paused drawing a deep breath. “But, when they’re hiding the princess in the woods they call her Briar Rose.” Snow stared over at the girl but Emma just looked blank, not understanding what Snow was getting at.

“Phillip,” Snow spun around making the boy prince nearly jump back in surprise. “You said, that when you went to find the princess, she was gone, right? That there was dust and it looked like she had been gone for a while, right?” With an expectant look in her eyes Snow waited for Phillip to respond.

“Yes, the castle was in disarray, it looked as though the enchantments had worn off years ago.” In truth the castle had looked as though it was ready to fall down and that the only thing holding it together were the vines wrapping between the stones. Phillip had found it to be a depressing sight but thought it would make a fitting tomb.

“What if, and this is kind of a big if, that was because the princess had been awaken years earlier? If she was gone, no more enchantment,” Snow gestured wildly hoping the others were following her train of thought. Her mind was racing with all the possibilities of what could have taken place in the intervening years. Phillip had told them that the events surrounding the curse had taken place nearly two hundred years earlier, that was a lot of time to account for. Rubbing a hand across her chin Snow turned her head to just stare at the girl sitting by the fire.

“You’re saying, that,” Emma paused before pointing over at the girl who brushing at her husband’s shoulder, dusting off some piece of dirt. “That is Sleeping Beauty? Because she looks pretty damn conscious to me.” Narrowing her eyes Emma tried to look for any resemblance between the girl sitting by the fire and the girl who had danced around in the movie. She really didn’t see, whatever it was, that Mary Margaret was seeing. 

“Yes, I think that is Sleeping Beauty or rather the Princess who people called Sleeping Beauty. The more important question is now, is who is he?” Snow stared at the man, her eyes narrowing. A man she loved had once rescued her from a sleeping spell but what would happen to a girl who was rescued from a similar spell by a stranger? Snow had been uncomfortable with Phillip’s declarations that he would have saved the princess and his had been well intentioned. A man with less than chivalrous plans could easily take advantage of a binding curse. 

Emma quickly glanced back and forth from Briar Rose and Killian to Snow and the others, before finally making up her mind as to what she had to do next. Narrowing her eyes she jerked her head towards the couple in a decisive fashion. 

“Let’s find out,” Emma strode back to the couple, purpose marking her every step. Walking around the fire, she moved to stand directly in front of the pair, coming to a stop Emma glared down at Briar Rose. With the fire burning behind her, Emma made for an imposing figure. “What’s your real name? No more games, I want your real name.” Leaning over Emma brought her face close to Briar Rose’s. 

“Miss, I think you might be…” Killian started to speak, a pleading and confused look on his face but he was cut off by Emma’s dark glare and the sound of Mulan’s sword sliding from its sheath. Swallowing nervously he folded in on himself and looked the picture of meekness. 

Aurora glanced at Killian out of the corner of her eye before sighing and slowly shaking her head in resignation. Bringing up a hand she rubbed her fingers over her forehead in annoyance. She had actually been surprised when the charade had gone on for as long as it had. Regardless of what Killian might think, he really wasn’t that good at playing the innocent. 

“My name is Aurora, don’t argue or say anything Killian,” Aurora held up a finger that signaled to the man that he shouldn’t dare to speak. Even without looking she could tell that he had started to open his mouth. “I’m not going to continue to lie because of Cora.” 

“You’re the sleeping princess.” Phillip said the words softly as though he didn’t quite believe them. 

In his mind, Phillip jumped back to a time when he had been a young boy and was first told by his grandfather about the sleeping princess. His grandfather had spun a tale of how his father had pledged, to the King and Queen of the Sands, to one day send one of his sons to awaken the princess and marry her but that to this day the promise, which had been a sacred bond, had long gone unfulfilled. One of details of the story that had always stuck with him was that the princess was named Aurora, for she when was born, she was as beautiful as the dawn. It was then that Phillip realized why her face had looked so familiar. In amongst his grandfather’s treasures had been a tiny portrait done of the princess and gifted to his family by the King and Queen of the Sands, when he was no older than seven, he had stolen it away and even now he carried it with him. An odd thought occurred to him, she looked the same as she did in the miniature but somehow vastly different. 

“I was, once, but now I’m awake. I’ve been awake for some time.” Aurora moved her hand to rub over the back of her neck. It was a nervous gesture but she didn’t like to talk much about the time she spent sleeping. It still gave her nightmares, terrible nightmares that tore at her and threatened to consume her on dark nights. Those were the nights Killian sat up with her and talked to her until she was able to sleep again. 

“Is there anything else you wish to know?” Killian, a bit put off by this turn of events, tried to appear charming and put on one of his better smiles. The blond really wasn’t very much fun, all fire but no real passion. It wasn’t an ideal set of circumstances but he was confident he could spin even this to his advantage. 

“Yeah, who are you? Really.” Emma glared down at the man but her heart wasn’t really in it. She half expected a line of singing and dancing animals to pop out of the trees at this point. The whole business of traveling through the enchanted forest with Snow White, Mulan and Prince Phillip had been bad enough but now she had Sleeping Beauty and probably some other member of the Disney family. She was one dwarf short of a full chorus line. While the whole thing would make for a really good story for Henry, it was mostly just trying her patience. 

“I told you, Killian Jones but I suppose most people think of me by my somewhat charming moniker of, Hook.” Killian smirked and waggled his stumpy left arm at Emma. The word ‘hook’ was said in a purr and Killian had practically licked his lips as he said it.

“As in Captain Hook?” Emma’s face fell and Snow White let out a soft, horrified gasp. 

They had both heard the stories of the notorious captain but in different ways. Emma remembered the somewhat humorous figure from the Peter Pan film, humorous but still dangerous. The man had, after all, spent all his time trying to kill a group of children. Snow, on the other hand, recalled the dark stories told to her by her governesses and nannies, about a vile pirate who had raided towns and disappeared into the night. 

“So you have heard of me?” Grinning Hook reached into his jerkin and fished out a long, steel object that shone in the firelight. “In case you were in doubt, I even have the hook to prove it.”

“What would a pirate be doing with a formerly cursed princess?” Emma looked between the two of them. Captain Hook and Sleeping Beauty traipsing through the forest as a married couple sounded like the opening to a bad joke. 

“Can you think of a finer treasure for a pirate to plunder?” Hook slowly licked his lower lip as he gazed up at Emma. He meant it to be crude, playing the merchant was never any fun, he liked being the dastardly pirate and he did it so well. 

“Killian,” Aurora admonished and smacked the man gently on the arm. “Behave.” 

Turning his head Hook looked at Aurora and grinned spreading out his arms. “I can’t disappoint them, my lovely, they want a roguish pirate and I really should give them a good show.” 

With an eye roll that spoke of years of familiarity with this behavior, Aurora turned back to Emma. “What is it that you really want Princess of the Plains? If it’s a way back to Storybrooke we can provide that but if its justice for being lied to, I’m afraid you’ll find we’re in short supply.” Rising slowly from her seat on the ground Aurora stared up at Emma. Years on a pirate ship might have rubbed away some of her finer edges but Aurora still remembered how to be a princess and she knew how to stare down even the most terrifying of courtiers. 

“Look lady, I’m no princess,” Emma crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to be slightly put off by the stare. There was something haunting in Aurora’s eyes and Emma couldn’t bring herself to look into them for too long. “But I want to get back home. I’m not going to let the two of you keep me from getting to my kid.” 

Hook rose, moving between Aurora and Emma, grinning all the while. “Well, then let us help you. We do after all have a common goal.” 

Aurora made an angry little huffing noise at Hook’s back but the man ignored it. Emma gave Hook a slow look over, sizing him up as she considered his words. “Why would Captain Hook want to go to Storybrooke?” 

“For one very simple reason, to take revenge on the man who cut off my hand, Rumpelstiltskin,” Hook leaned in close to Emma and gave her a very dark smile.


	3. Chapter 3

The cabin always seemed to glitter in the candlelight. It reflected off the gold detailing on the books, the sheen on the well oiled wood, the bits of glass on Aurora’s few treasures and the fine gems on decorations that Hook had brought in to adorn the walls, all the caught the light. Not only did it catch the light but also, it made it dance. Swirling about the room in a subtle ballet. In its own small way it seemed to give the place a bit of magic, like fairy dust had touched every corner of the space. That it had crept in from where it had saturated the boards of the ship and made the room into another world. Some might even go so far as to call the place opulent, maybe even decadent, when it was in the right light. Hook had a taste for the finer things and his cabin was evidence of this. Sometimes, Aurora felt out of place amongst all the treasures. For a girl who had grown up in wealth, bathed in jewels and riches, the flash of Hook’s cabin felt disconcerting. It was a foreign land that Aurora merely inhabited, she was as much a part of it as a shadow on the wall.

Their life took on a strange pattern the longer they were in Neverland. In the morning Aurora would rise, do her chores, most days she would then leave the ship and take a small rowboat to one of the islands to explore. Neverland was made up of one large central island and a series of smaller islands along its edges. Peter Pan and his lost boys, the mermaids, various beasts and an encampment of the tattooed men inhabited the main island. The smaller islands were largely made up of the tattooed men but there was the lonely bird island and the island of the fairies. Aurora had been warned to stay clear of both of those islands. The birds had their own strange ways and the fairies were not like those back in the Enchanted Forest. In Neverland the fairies were more a part of earth, they were wild and feral, as predictable as a force of nature. On the one occasion Aurora had tried to approach one of the small glittering creatures it had struck out, kicking her in the nose. She had left them alone after that.

Each day Aurora traveled farther and farther into the depths of Neverland’s main island. Then every night she came right back here to the ship and sat in the flickering, glittering cabin and wondered why she didn’t leave. Hook never said she had to stay. He never even encouraged it, he would even go so far as to offer her ways out, but he never made her leave either. Instead, they just sat here, night after night, playing chess. Once Hook had offered to teach her cards but she didn’t trust him not to cheat. The chess set was one of the most elaborate sets that Aurora had ever seen. The board was polished wood, inlaid with ivory, gold and gems. Each of the individual little playing pieces were carved into realistic representations of kings, queens, knights, and castles. Little bearded wizards and round peasants danced across the board every night in their strange dance. 

Staring down at the game board Aurora considered what move to play next. Hook, for all his bluster and twisting words, was actually not very good at this game. He played like someone who had learned through trial and error. Half the time he claimed to have forgotten the rules and tried to move his pieces in new and interesting fashions. Sighing Aurora rubbed a hand over her chin as she contemplated her pieces.

“You’re not very good at this,” She said, at long last, her fingers going to a playing piece, it was a bold knight atop a shining charger. Picking it up, she moved it over to a carefully selected spot on the board. The black and white tiles were made of alternating squares of darkly varnished wood and wood bleached so pale that it almost gleamed in the candlelight. 

Hook glanced up at Aurora through his eyelashes and said nothing. Wiggling his lips he considered his options. After a great deal of posturing he finally reached for a piece but Aurora’s raised eyebrow made him immediately reconsider. His fingers went towards another piece, a peasant twirling their skirt, lingering over it. After some length he said, “That is your opinion princess.” Selecting the piece, he picked it up and moved it quickly.

Snorting Aurora went back to considering the board. Then, as though struck by a muse, a thought suddenly occurred to her and Aurora found herself worrying her lower lip between her teeth. Looking up from the board, she stared across the tops of the little jeweled and embossed figures at Hook. “Why aren’t you out there with your crew?” 

It was a thought that had plagued her for many nights as they sat in here, alone, playing their little game. Outside she could always hear the crew carousing and celebrating but most nights Hook remained a supine figure in his grand chair. His partaking in the crew’s activities had become a rare thing. 

“Perhaps I enjoy your company?” Hook said the words quickly, as though he didn’t even need to think of them. They just slipped off his tongue, like a drop of morning dew slipping off a leaf. Words without any true emotion always seemed to come so easily to him.

“Liar.” Aurora looked up at Hook from beneath her lashes, before making another swift and decisive move with a piece. In an instant a tiny castle hopped a tiny peasant, felling it. A small smile slid across her lips but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. 

“Didn’t anyone tell you? I am a notorious scoundrel and rogue.” Hook leaned across the board, his elbows resting on the edge, as he grinned wolfishly at her. “Feel free to call me terrible names, they sound so sweet falling from your lips.” Blowing Aurora a small kiss Hook leaned back in his chair, his legs sliding apart as he considered her. 

Scoffing Aurora reached out a hand and twirled one of the pieces around on the board, not sure yet if she wanted to move it. The little wizard spun for her but offered no helpful answers. Tapping a finger on the top of its little wide brimmed hat she stared down at the tiny face. It had a beard and a tiny monocle carved into it. She couldn’t look Hook in the eye as she asked him the question that was burning a hole in her brain, “What do you tell them that we’re doing in here?” 

With a snort Hook brought up his good hand to rub across his face. Scratching at his stubble, he shrugged one shoulder casually. It was a broad and nonchalant gesture. “Different things. They all seem to enjoy the stories I tell. Especially when it involves you screaming.” 

“Do you ever tell the truth?” Aurora lifted the piece from the board and set it in a new spot. It took a monumental effort her to repress the shiver crawling up her spine. The thought of the crew laughing and jesting about her as bed sport had always turned her stomach. While she new it was necessary, they needed to believe she belonged to Hook, it had never made her truly comfortable. 

“I’ve never lied to you.” Hook said the words softly and then reached out knocking over his king. Without another word he pushed himself up from his chair and left the cabin. 

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Morning always came too slowly in Aurora’s opinion. She had sat throughout the night, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, staring blankly into the dim forest. The others had slept peacefully around the dwindling fire but she had known it was going to be a bad night, so she didn’t even bother to try to sleep. After years she had developed a sort of sensitivity towards the bad nights, she could feel them coming even before she laid her head down on the pillow. Sometimes she couldn’t escape them, if she had a few bad nights in a row or simply hadn’t gotten enough sleep lately, they would sneak up on her and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Beside her, Hook slept completely unburdened by dreams. It was one of the funnier things about him, nothing seemed to disrupt his ability to sleep, the man could sleep through cannon fire. Truth be told, he had. Yet even in sleep he kept a firm grip on the folds of Aurora’s dress.

As the sun began to peek over the horizon in the distance, Aurora allowed herself to rise from the ground. Picking herself up off the blanket, she stretched and tried to loosen out all the tightness that came from a night of sitting in a cramped position. Some might wonder how she could stand it but after decades of sleep, patience and the ability to sit still for very long periods of time, came easily to her. Bending down Aurora picked up her small pack and walked a short distance into the nearby woods. Ducking behind a tree she sat her bag down. Once she was sure that she was safe from prying eyes, she began to quickly change out of the ridiculous dress she had been wearing and into something far more comfortable. Cold morning air nipped at her skin and made her quake. A sense of satisfaction swept over her as she pulled on a pair of britches.

Content and feeling more like herself, now that she was back in comfortable britches and her familiar long coat, Aurora made her way back to camp, picking carefully through the detritus of the forest floor. Her intention was to get back before anyone had noticed she was missing. She was halfway back to camp when Mulan suddenly stepped out from behind a tree, appearing like some sprite of the woods. With a small gasp of surprise Aurora took an unconscious step backward, her hand coming up to cover her mouth and muffle the noise. The morning was so silent that it felt wrong to disrupt the quiet. Mulan slid easily into the space in front of Aurora, seeming to glide over the ground, her feet not even making the softest of sounds. It truly was a magic trick, given how littered the ground was with twigs and other bits designed to make as much noise as possible when stepped on. 

“What were you doing?” Mulan looked the other girl up and down suspiciously, her eyes narrowing as she took in every detail.

She still didn’t trust the couple. Actually, in all honesty, she trusted them even less now that she knew exactly who they were. Some part of Mulan couldn’t stop from feeling a twinge of jealousy at how Phillip had looked at Aurora. He had searched half his life for her and even though Mulan had been by his side for the past few years, what he felt for her was nothing compared to that. Something twisted inside of Mulan whenever she thought about the princess. Even though she didn’t know anything about her, Phillip’s wide eyes and long glances made Mulan want to hate Aurora. 

Aurora looked down at her self and then slowly gestured at her new clothes. “Changing.” A lightly condescending note laced Aurora’s voice.

Glancing up again, Aurora blinked slowly at the young woman. Her brows narrowed as she studied Mulan in the dim light. Even after all the years she had spent traipsing around on adventures, a woman in complicated armor, was a new thing for her. However, the look of distrust on the other woman’s face, was a familiar one. Trying not to appear bothered by it Aurora straightened her shoulders and put a soft, friendly smile on her face. 

“Why?” Mulan’s hand loosely gripped the hilt of her sword. She had a strong impulse to demand the bag, to search through Aurora’s things, to dig where Aurora had been standing behind the tree, to search for answers. Something in Mulan wanted to make sure that she knew exactly what Aurora was hiding, she wanted all of Aurora’s secrets. 

“Because I needed to. That dress wasn’t particularly well suited for a journey.” Shaking her head Aurora moved to quickly pass Mulan. She didn’t like the feeling of being cornered in the dark.

Instead of stopping her, Mulan just turned and followed her back to camp. Moving silently, Mulan remained a few steps behind Aurora at all times. Not letting the girl even move the slightest bit out of her sight. Aurora had to stop herself from turning her head to look behind but her neck prickled every time she took a step. She could practically feel Mulan’s gaze burning into the back of her neck.

At the camp Hook was slowly rising. As he sat up he rubbed a thoughtful hand over his chin, he still wasn’t quite awake yet and felt like something was missing but couldn’t quite remember what it was yet. When his eyes alighted on Aurora it was like a switch being flipped on in his head. Broad lips slid apart into a warm, familiar sort of smile. Reaching out his good hand, he took a hold of Aurora and pulled her down towards him. Wrapping his free arm around her shoulder he began to speak softly to her. Mulan came to a stop a short distance away and began to study them. Over the top of Aurora’s head she could see Emma sitting up and Phillip was already awake, standing guard at the edge of the camp. His eyes kept darting over to Hook and then skittering away. When they finally alighted on Mulan, he gave her a warm smile, raising his hand in a small wave. Without meaning to the armor clad girl returned the gesture as she felt her heart swell in her chest.  
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“This, is the Enchanted Forest, ” Hook spread out a large the map on the ground with as much ceremony as he could muster. He had shed the uncomfortable, oversized tunic that he had been wearing as part of his merchant’s disguise and was down to his more traditional pirate fair consisting of a black vest and shirt. The map Hook had laid down was an elaborate one and it detailed every important part of the Enchanted Forest. Tiny trees showed the various groves, carefully painted blue areas marked the lakes and rivers, and small mountains dotted the paper landscape. It was a beautiful map and one of Hook’s prized possessions as it showed off all the important mystical landmarks. In the southern corner of the map was a small castle marked, palace of the Sands. There was a tiny notation beside it in faded ink. 

“We, are approximately here,” He poked at a spot on the map, in one of the areas populated by tiny trees, not far from where the encampment actually was. “The beanstalk in question, is here.” Moving his hand he tapped another spot on the map that was marked in green with tiny writing scribbled beside it. Someone had carefully drawn a tiny beanstalk with what looked like a castle at the top of it. The word, lovingly, could be used to describe the hand that had crafted the map. 

“It will take us at least a day to get there, maybe two, on the outside three. It all depends on how good your legs are.” Tilting his head to the side Hook gave the legs of Mulan, Snow and Emma all a careful inspection. Turning his head he looked back at Aurora who merely shook her head. She was used to such behavior and she wouldn’t rise to his bait. Still he couldn’t resist throwing her a small wink. 

Snow White made a disgusted noise when she saw where Hook’s gaze was trained. Kneeling down she yanked the map towards herself. With a trained eye she examined it carefully, making her own mental notes of their current position and the spot that Hook had marked. The map was exceptionally well detailed and even included Mulan and Phillip’s encampment. The freshness of the ink marks indicated that the encampment had been added at a later date. Even the writing beside it identified it further as being something new, having been written in a twisting, swirling hand as opposed to the tight, cramped script that decorated the rest of the map. Tapping the encampment Snow turned her head towards Hook and gave him an accusatory look.

“Oh, that is all Cora, she made some additions to the map after I showed it to her. I tend not to spy on people, well that isn’t completely true,” Smiling Hook waved his good hand in a slightly boyish gesture. “I do like to spy on women but only when they ask me to.” Twisting his head he blew Emma a small kiss.

“You’re disgusting,” was Emma’s only response. Crossing her arms over her chest she turned her body away from him so that she wouldn’t have to look at him.

“Be that as it may,” Hook yanked the map back from Snow. “You need me, so, shall we be on our way?” Rolling up the map Hook stuffed it into his pack and rose.

“Yeah, let’s get going. The sooner we get this over with, the better.” Emma deigned to turn back to face Hook just so she could fix him with one of her most terrifying glowers. 

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Kicking her stockings away Aurora looked around the lagoon one last time, she had already checked it nearly a dozen times but she had wanted to be sure. Nodding to herself and feeling completely safe she dived into the clear water. Her body tingled as she hit the surface of the lagoon and broke through. She shivered as she dove down into the cold water but it was a good kind of cold feeling. Every part of her seemed to sing out that it was alive and felt relieved of some invisible burden. Twisting her hips, she gave a few small kicks of her feet and surfaced near the middle of the lagoon. 

The islands of Neverland had many various lagoons and lakes but this was by far her favorite. It was the most private, a rocky outcropping protecting it, there were no mermaids waiting to drown unsuspecting visitors and the scenery was unlike anything she had ever witnessed before traveling to this land. Gorgeous trees bursting with fruit curved around the edges, dangling just low enough that when you were in the water you could almost snatch the fruit from the branches, bushes draped with blossoms flourished in the crevices of the rocks, and the small waterfall that fed the lagoon provided just enough pressure that when one stood underneath it, they felt as though they were truly getting clean. Feeling clean on a pirate ship was a rare honor. The best part of it, by far, had to be that it was free of people.

Hook’s crew didn’t seem to know about it, the lost boys didn’t care and the tattooed men that dwelt on the smaller islands and along the beaches had their own lagoons. This was truly Aurora’s private little place. Smiling she leaned back in the water and kicked out her feet. Floating naked in the lagoon was probably the most freeing thing she had ever done in her life. It had taken her weeks for her to work up the courage to do so. At first she had just let her feet soak in the water, then she had stripped down to her shift but she eventually found the cloth cumbersome, finally, she had felt like she could just swim free of all fabric and worries. The first time she had dived into the water, free of any clothing, it had felt like she was truly stripped free of everything from her life before. When she had initially boarded the Jolly Roger it felt like her great adventure was going to be living on a pirate ship but now she was starting to think that her great adventure was simply living. Her smile widened and she dragged her fingers through the water in contentment. 

“Now isn’t that a sight.” 

Aurora let out a short, piercing scream at the sound of the gently drawled voice and immediately dove under the water. As soon as she had done it she realized what a stupid and foolish way it was to react. She could only stay under the water for a finite amount of time where as Hook could linger up there on the ground for as long as he liked. Wrapping one arm around her breasts and leaving the other down by her hips, she kicked her feet slowly so that she could surface. Hoping that the water would obscure what she couldn’t cover, she glared at Hook from across the lagoon. The smirking, insolent, horrible man relaxed on the grass, with his boots off and his coat tossed aside. He was sitting as calm as could be, his arms resting on his knees and his toes wiggling between the little green blades. Every inch of him was a picture of tranquility. 

“You know, it probably isn’t safe for you to be out here, alone and unclothed. There are pirates about after all. I have even heard tell that their captain is a fierce man who delights in taking advantage of young women.” His grin only widening, Hook tilted his head as he tried to get a better look at Aurora in the water. 

He had been curious about where Aurora went every week after she had finished the dirtiest of her chores, so he had followed her. It had come as a complete shock when she had just thrown away all her clothes and jumped into the water totally bare. A shock but not an unwelcome one, it really had been a sight to behold and would remain frozen in his memory for years to come. There were very few things that Hook would consider to be worth remembering for years to come, even fewer involved women.

“I am shocked by this revelation. Maybe you should go stand guard. Just to keep me safe and protect my virtue.” Aurora had to try and kick her feet as gently as possible to stay floating, her body angled downwards and her arms remaining firmly in place. Really, she felt ridiculous, but she wanted to preserve some sense of modesty. Modesty was a hard thing to hold onto, especially when dealing with a man who seemed to delight in making her change her clothes in front of him. 

“But if I was standing guard I would miss the show and I can’t keep my eyes on everything. What if someone was to sneak up on you from behind?” There was laughter in Hook’s eyes as he watched Aurora struggle in the water. He knew he shouldn’t tease the girl but she could be such an easy target sometimes. Even after nearly a year on the ship, she was still so soft and sweet, like a puffy candy that melted into pure sugar in your mouth. Licking his lower lip Hook rolled his shoulders and let his guard drop just a bit. It was a truly beautiful spot. He doubted that any real harm could come to him here and it wouldn’t hurt for him to relax.

Glowering Aurora let herself dip down into the water just a bit and blow a few bubbles in irritation. She had one of two options before her and they were simple ones. First, she could swim over, climb out of the water, fetch her clothes and go. Second, she could stay here floating until Hook got bored and left. Deep down she knew he had already seen everything, so there was no real point in dragging the entire thing out. Also, he still had the advantage, at some point she really would have to get out or drown. Drawing a breath she slowly lowered her arms and began to swim back to the shoreline. Hook just watched her with a calculating look in his eye. Casually he stretched out his foot and slowly began to nudge her clothes farther away from the edge of the lagoon.

Frustrated Aurora came to a stop and let out an annoyed little sound. Laughing Hook bit down on his lower lip. He was enjoying tormenting the girl more than he should have but she needed to learn. At some point Aurora had decided she was safe in this place, that she was safe on the ship and safe in Neverland. Now she just wandered around with impunity, completely blind to the dangers around her. Yes, Neverland was a beautiful place and populated largely by children that never aged. That fact alone made it seem like a magical place where nothing bad ever happened. The terrible truth was that there was darkness in this paradise. They may operate by their own set of rules and morals but not all of the tattooed men could be trusted with a pretty girl, there were animals that wouldn’t care how pretty or sweet she was, and if she upset the fairies or the mermaids they would turn on her in a moment, for they were only a hairsbreadth away from being feral monsters. Neverland wasn’t safe and she needed to learn, even if it made her hate him. 

Moving closer to the shore Aurora reached out a hand and groped for her clothes. Hook just kept watching her, his eyes fixed on her shoulder but not really looking. Finally getting a hold on her clothes, Aurora pulled herself out of the water. With very little grace and a lot of awkward motions, she managed to cover herself in some fashion with her clothes. She would have to put them on but she wasn’t going to do it front of him, not again. Lifting his eyes, Hook stared up at her face. Her expression was one of pinched, tight anger, her eyebrows making a furrow on her forehead and two great red splotches blooming across her cheeks. For a moment they just stared at each other and then Aurora lifted her head, raising her chin and nose into the air. 

“Well, if you’re not going to stay, than I certainly am going to enjoy myself.” Smirking Hook rose and stripped off his shirt and vest. Dropping them both on the ground, Hook let his hands go to his belt. 

With widening eyes Aurora spun around so she was facing away from Hook. Realizing that she had left her backside exposed she pulled her dress back around and covered her bottom. The soft sound of Hook snickering made the blush that had started on her cheeks creep down towards her neck. When she heard Hook’s pants hit the ground followed by the sound of him hitting the water she was tempted to look. Drawing a deep breath Aurora squared her shoulders and prepared to leave. She wasn’t going to let him get the best of her, that was what she kept telling herself, but even the tiny voice in her head didn’t sound impressed. 

Then, as Aurora went to stomp away, a thought hit her. It struck with the force of an arrow fired neatly from a crossbow. Holding her clothes up to her chest, she spun back to face Hook. “You want me to leave.” She said the words as though she had struck upon some grand revelation. When she realized what she could actually see of Hook she swallowed and instantly turned her head to the side. Biting down on her cheek she tried to control the blush that she knew was creeping farther down her body. 

“What could have given you that idea?” Hook raised one eyebrow and lazily moved his arms in the water. Smirking he kicked his feet and tried not to enjoy the sight of her blushing, she looked like a strawberry dipped in cream. 

“You like me,” She said it slowly as the pieces began to click into place. At first she had thought he tolerated her but it began to occur to her that a man who simply tolerated someone wouldn’t do the things he did. Wouldn’t bother, wouldn’t care. The man who simply tolerated a woman would not spend is precious evenings amusing her, instead of seeing to his own pleasures.

“You are not completely intolerable,” Shrugging a shoulder Hook splashed his hands in the water. He liked watching the ripples they made. 

“Yet,” Pausing Aurora mulled over what she was going to say next. “You want me to go, why is that?” A curious expression crossed Aurora’s face as she studied Hook’s face. As her mind whirled with possibilities, it turned out to be remarkably easy to keep her eyes locked on his face. The man’s expression instantly became wooden and all dancing laughter in his eyes vanished.

“Have you ever considered that maybe I’m thinking of what’s best for you? A princess really shouldn’t be gallivanting around with pirates.” Hook’s expression darkened but he remained in the water. He had stopped his lazy paddling and simply let himself float. 

“Liar.” Aurora spun around, careful to use her clothes to cover her backside and disappeared into the safety of the trees to get redressed. 

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The trek from their hastily assembled camp to the beanstalk was not an easy one. Regina’s magic had left the landscape ravaged and broken. What it didn’t destroy it had turned wild and monstrous. The magic that had remained in the world had become twisted and seemed to turn on itself. Branches jumped out and roots seemed to creep out of the ground for the sole purpose of twisting around ankles. Everyone had to carefully watch their footing and the farther they walked the heavier the undergrowth became. Bushes grew in closer, rocks became larger and the trees seemed to loom with more menace than before. Hook led the group with Mulan and Emma directly at his back. Mulan seemed to walk with her hand permanently affixed to her sword. She wasn’t taking any chances as far as Hook was concerned and Emma couldn’t stand that she wasn’t in the lead but she had to defer to Hook, not knowing the terrain. Phillip brought up the rear of the group with Snow and Aurora in the middle. 

Phillip’s eyes were focused on Aurora’s back during their entire trek that first day. Periodically he would bite down on his bottom lip as he stopped himself from saying something. Hook tried to keep up the morale of the group or just annoy the already frustrated warrior women, it was hard to tell which, by regaling them with tales of his earliest adventures in Neverland. Occasionally he would glance back at Aurora with a teasing look dancing in his eyes. Whenever she would start to look tired or hungry, he would pretend to be more tired than he was so that they had to take a break. It slowed down their pace but Emma, who wasn’t too experienced when it came to hiking across rough terrain, and Snow, who hadn’t had to hike across rough terrain in over two decades, both seemed to appreciate it. Neither Mulan nor Phillip complained but the others could see they were suffering in their armor.

Still, the journey proved to be slightly treacherous and was not without many small injuries being incurred before they made camp for the night. Mulan and Emma had wanted to keep pushing but when the sun began to set faster than anyone had expected it to, they had to make camp. Having already assembled a similar camp the night before, it came together quickly with the same jobs being passed out to the same people. Aurora and Snow collected wood with Mulan. Emma, Phillip and Hook prepped for the fire and set up the blankets. As one the group lamented the lack of a tent but decided if worse came to worse, they could use the blankets they slept on for a cover from any unexpected weather. Not much was said around the fire as they ate their evening meal and lay down to sleep, everyone was simply too tired to speak. Mulan took the first watch, a silent sentinel in the glowing light of the low fire.

Hours later Aurora awoke to a sudden, nauseating pain radiating up from her stomach. Rising from the ground, she swiftly stumbled into the woods and away from the camp. She made it a few feet before she had to come to a stop, the sick feeling working its way up her body too overpowering for her to continue. Grasping for support at a nearby tree, she leaned over and heaved. Her shoulders trembled and her fingernails dug into the bark beside her head as her body sought to rid itself of the source of its discomfort. It seemed to last for hours when in fact it was a very brief period of time. Shuddering she felt a tear slide from her eye and slip down her cheek. Aurora couldn’t remember the last time she had felt quite so sick.

When her stomach had finally settled, she stumbled a few feet away and collapsed onto the ground. She let her body rest against a tree and drew in a shuddering breath. Tearing off a piece of her shirt, the old fabric well worn and starting to get threadbare in spots, she wiped at her mouth. Leaning her head back against the tree Aurora let her eyes slip shut as she tried to calm the rolling pain in her stomach. Laying a hand over her middle, she clenched her fingers into soft cotton of the shirt that covered it. The sound of approaching footsteps made her eyes slowly crack open. Turning her head, she looked up at the figure whom was slowly moving towards her. With a great deal of grace and a tight, worried expression on her face, Snow White lowered herself down and held out a small flask of water to Aurora.

“Here. Don’t drink any, just wash use it to rinse your mouth out.” Smiling Snow brought up a hand and carefully began to push some of Aurora’s hair back behind her ear. The younger looking girl’s hair was ragged and tangled looking in the pale light of the stars.

Nodding Aurora gratefully accepted the flash and took a small mouthful of the cool water. After swishing the liquid around inside of her mouth a few times, she turned her head and spit it out onto the leaves below. Twisting back around to Snow, Aurora handed the other woman the flask with a soft word of thanks. Snow gave Aurora a small smile and closed the lid of the flash before tucking it away in her back pocket.

“You’re welcome, are you alright?” There was a worried crease forming on Snow White’s brow. 

Even though the group had only been traveling together for a day, and they still didn’t trust the odd couple, Snow’s natural maternal instincts were kicking in. She wanted to look after the girl, at least for a few moments. Though, girl, might not the right way to put it. Both Hook and Aurora had been vague about how long they had been in Neverland. Long enough seemed to be the implication but neither had put a real stretch of time to it yet. Snow felt safe in the assumption that Aurora might very well be older than her. She had heard the stories about Neverland and its inhabitants. Still, there was a gentle innocence in Aurora that seemed to be untainted even after years of living amongst pirates. With a daughter refusing to be mothered and a grandson a world away, Snow desperately wanted someone to look after. Aurora was as good a candidate as any. 

“I haven’t felt very well in over a week. I think this land disagrees with me.” Shaking her head Aurora began to slowly rub at her stomach, trying to sooth away the pain. The worst part of being sick in such a way was always the lingering pain in your stomach. 

“Have you been sick before?” Snow’s eyebrows narrowed together as she studied Aurora. With no basis for how Aurora had looked before she was having a hard time determining if any sort of change had taken place. The girl had a sallow look to her skin and it had taken on a sort of glossy sweat streaked sheen. She might have just been sick or it might have come from the effort of being sick. Reaching up a hand, Snow pressed the back of her hand against Aurora’s forehead, the shorter woman didn’t feel feverish. Pursuing her lips Snow continued to study Aurora for signs of other possible causes of her illness. 

“Yes, almost every day. It is an awful sickness that comes on suddenly and then quickly passes, so I think nothing of it until it returns again.” Aurora paused when she saw the strange look Snow White was giving her. “What?” Narrowing her eyes Aurora leaned away from the other woman. She didn’t like the feeling of being studied and that was exactly what it felt like Snow was doing. No, studied was too kind of a word for the searching look Snow was giving her. Dissected might have been a better choice.

“So you and Hook, you two actually,” Snow cleared her throat, not sure she wanted to ask the question. The whole relationship still felt odd to her and there were things she wasn’t sure she was ready to ask. While Snow had felt it was safe to assume that there was something there, actually coming out and asking about someone’s private activities with a man seemed a bit forward. Especially when she had only known the girl for a little over a day. Especially when that man was the kind of man that Snow felt all women should be warned away from. 

“Actually what? Oh, you’re asking about…” For a moment Aurora blushed and she couldn’t keep a sheepish smile off her face. It had been so long since she had talked to a woman about such things. In truth, she probably had never really talked to another woman about such things. There weren’t really any human women in Neverland, at least not any adults ones, and so most of her companions had been men and other worldly creatures. Granted there had been the one girl and the odd witch living out in the mountains but they weren’t really the types that you invited around for tea and private conversation.

Nodding her head she brought up a hand to nervously push some hair behind her ear. “Yes, for many years but what does that…Oh.” Aurora stopped when she finally realized exactly why Snow White would bring up such a thing. Looking down at her stomach she lifted up her other hand so that they were both laid across it. “In Neverland, an old witch that lived atop the Misty Mountains told me that seed would never take root in a land where no natural fruit grows.” 

“But haven’t you’ve been gone from Neverland since the curse started to break? That was months ago and trust me when I say, it does not always take all that long.” Snow White made a face when she thought about quickly she had become pregnant and more importantly how quickly Charming had thought she could become pregnant. Though, given Charming’s enthusiasm for such things it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise for either of them. 

“Yes, that’s right.” Aurora gasped and clasped a hand to her mouth. For some reason she started to shake. She didn’t know why she started to shake but she could not help it. No matter how hard she tried to tell herself not to shake she couldn’t seem to stop doing it. Her entire body simply quivered under the weight of the sudden news. 

Snow immediately pulled the girl into her arms. Stroking a hand over her hair she squeezed the girl tightly so that she would feel the warmth and the steadiness of Snow’s body. “Its okay. Calm down. Now, maybe you are just sick. Have you noticed any sensitivity in certain, areas? How about, your regular visitor?” Snow White winced at how awkward she sounded. She had never imagined she’d have a conversation like this with a near stranger in a darkened wood. If anything Snow had imagined that she would one day have this conversation with her daughter, that she and Emma would sit together, holding hands and talking about the possibility of children with excitement and glee. It would seem that reality was playing quite the joke on her fantasies.

“Oh gods,” Drawing in a shaky breath Aurora grasped at Snow White’s arms. “This is really not a good time for this.” Aurora’s hair was flung about as she shook her head in denial of what she knew to be true. 

Tears welled up in Aurora’s eyes because this really was the worst possible time to learn about such things. When Aurora had imagined children with Killian and she had imagined children with Killian, it hadn’t been like this. She had thought maybe, just maybe, one day they would leave Neverland and go somewhere beautiful. That they would have a little house and raise children together but then decades passed without change and she had given up on those sorts of dreams. 

“It rarely is, trust me. If children came along at more convenient times the world would be a far simpler place.” Slowly Snow began to stroke Aurora’s hair and whisper soothing words to her. 

She could tell the girl was dangerously close to having some sort of panicked episode. The look in her eyes was a familiar one, Snow had seen that kind of look before. Snow herself had once had a look like that in her eyes, it wasn’t an easy thing to have your world suddenly collapse in on itself. While a child was a blessing, Snow firmly believed that, there were times when it truly was not appropriate to be having a child. Being part of a plot to kill Rumpelstiltskin could easily qualify as one of the least opportune times to 

“This can’t be happening right now. We don’t have a home, we have nothing to give a child, no way to care for one. Killian won’t stop, he can’t see past his crocodile,” Aurora’s shaking only seemed to grow worse, barely being held in Snow’s arms. The enormity of what was befalling her was nearly too much. “I can’t even remember my mother’s face. I have this vague impression of a woman but it has been so long. How am I supposed to be someone’s mother?” 

Gently Snow sat Aurora up. Grabbing the other girl’s shoulders she held onto them tightly and stared straight into Aurora’s eyes. Digging her fingers into Aurora’s skin Snow made sure she had Aurora’s full attention before she started talking. “Listen to me. I understand that you spent a long time in Neverland and that you stopped growing up because of that. I can’t imagine that being easy but you’re back in a world where time moves forward. No, time marches forward here and it is time for you to grow up. You can do this. I didn’t have my mother for very long and I didn’t think I could be someone’s mother but when it came down to it I was willing to do anything for my child. Emma will tell you the same thing. You can’t sit in the woods crying about it. You need to take control and take care of your child.” For a moment Snow tightened her grip on Aurora’s shoulders and gave her a hard, quick shake to reinforce her words. 

“What do I tell Killian?” Aurora stared at Snow tears still wavering in her eyes. She hadn’t spilled one yet but they were threatening to. They welled up in the corners of her eyes, little glassy pools of liquid.

“What do you want to tell him?” Snow raised an eyebrow and considered the other girl carefully. She wasn’t quite sure what to tell the girl in response to that. There were a number of options and she had no idea how, the thing they apparently had together actually functioned. 

“Nothing.” Aurora said after a few minutes of deadening silence. “He can’t see past Rumpelstiltskin, he won’t even listen. The words will drift past his ears but he won’t hear them.” Slowly her head shook in resignation. There were few things that Aurora accepted, fully and unconditionally, in this world and this was one of them. When it came to hunting his crocodile Killian was blind to all other things. 

“Okay, when all of that is done, then you tell him or at least I think you should tell him but you don’t have to. What you do now is your decision Aurora, your choice. Your only guiding principle is what is best for you and what is best for your baby.” Snow White pulled Aurora in close giving her a tight hug. She patted the other girl on the back in a warm and maternal fashion. Sighing Snow found herself wishing that she didn’t have to keep this particular confidence. 

“Thank you,” Aurora whispered softly as she pressed her face into Snow’s shoulder. The pink shawl Snow wore was ever so slightly warm against her face and soft. “You know, I met this little girl once in Neverland. She was called Wendy Darling, and I told her to go home, that growing up was enough of an adventure and you didn’t need to be a pirate to make it one. Yet I stayed in Neverland for years after that. Isn’t that a funny thing for me to do?”


	4. Chapter 4

"I met your Peter Pan today." The comment came from the depths of the hammock hanging in the far corner of the cabin. 

Hook’s crew had long ago figured out that the captain wasn't using his bride for proper sport but the only man brave enough, or possibly stupid enough, to bring it up had been skewered like a fish by the infamous hook. After that it had simply become something that no one acknowledged but everyone knew about. In response to this Mr. Smee had installed a hammock for Aurora to sleep in. Both the princess and the captain certainly had approved it of because it meant that they no longer had to share the cramped cabin bed together. Hook had done his best to be a gentleman but it wasn’t always a treat to wake up every morning with a soft, sweet smelling but unwilling bed partner pressed against your most delicate areas. Initially Hook had believed that he would be sleeping in the hammock but Aurora had taken to it like a bird to a nest.

And nest was certainly an apt way to describe it. Blankets woven by the Piccaninny, jeweled talismans from the mermaids, shells collected from the beach, feathers from the birds and the occasional strange trinket from the fairies now decorate the hammock and the area around it. Aurora had taken to Neverland like a fish to water. All Hook had to do was leave her on the island and she could occupy herself all day long. There were a few treasures snuck in from their travels to other realms, things purchased closer to what had been her home, but the bounty of Neverland was always what was most prominently displayed. 

"And what did you think of him?" Hook responded slowly not even bothering to glance up from his charts.

"I thought he was rather sad." Sitting up in her hammock Aurora said the words in a tone that suggested she genuinely felt bad for the boy.

"Why?" Hook queried, it seemed like the appropriate response. He really didn’t care. The boy was a nuisance and a source of constant aggravation. One of these days he might actually have to kill him.

"He doesn't want to grow up.” Pausing Aurora chewed on her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. “It’s just, if he never grows up he can never experience all the wonders that come with it. Exploring the world, falling in love, making a mark on the lives of others. He’s depriving himself of all those wonderful experiences.” Gesturing to emphasize her point Aurora caused her hammock to rock gently from side to side. 

Laying down the instrument that he had been using, Hook turned his head slowly and stared at the darkened lump in the corner of the room. Aurora’s hammock swayed like it was rocked by an invisible wind. For a few quiet moments Hook considered her words before finally saying, “The boy reminds you of yourself.” 

With almost glacial slowness Aurora’s head turned to look at Hook. There was a slight wobbling to her lower lip before she nodded. “Yes but his curse is so much worse, for it is a waking dream. Forever trapped in youth.” 

Sighing Hook brought up his good hand and scrubbed it over the back of his head. “Would it make you feel any better if I told you that he will eventually grow up?” 

“He will?” Rolling onto her side Aurora gazed at him from across the cabin.

“He will leave. They always do sooner or later. The boys that are brought here as Peter eventually find something in the other realms that draws them away. They leave Neverland for good and a new Peter comes to replace them.” Shrugging a shoulder Hook tried to give off an air of complete disinterest. Something inside of Hook clenched at the memory of a boy who had left an island paradise long ago to follow adventures of a different sort.

“How sad,” Aurora finally said after a long pause.

“Is nothing not sad to you today? You are a melancholy creatures.” Shaking his head Hook turned away from the girl. 

“I’m beginning to think this might be a sad place.” Twisting onto her back Aurora stared up at the ceiling.

Hook muttered, “No one is making you stay.” Before going back to his work. 

With a sad little sigh Aurora pulled the multitude of multi-colored and decorated blankets up to her chin. 

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“Behold,” Hook threw up his hands in an extravagant and wild gesture as he indicated the beanstalk before them. 

It was mid afternoon on the third day of their journey. The sun had rose sluggishly and seemed disinclined to illuminate the beanstalk in the manner that it truly deserved. The little group could have possibly made it to beanstalk the day before but they had run into, what could only be described as, a herd of ogres. With the ogres blocking their original path, they had been forced to find an alternate route. The time wasted in finding a safe place to look at the map, plus the time required to properly study the map and decide on a different traveling pattern, combined with the extra time needed to go around the ogres and reach the beanstalk in a less direct way, had significantly slowed them down. That, however, hadn’t stopped the group from moving at as brisk a pace as possible. Tensions were running high and no one really wanted to have to spend any time more than they absolutely had to on the trip. 

The beanstalk in question rose out of the ground like a great tower of greenery. It had a thick base with heavy roots anchoring it firmly to the ground. Each root that protruded from the earth was easily as big around as a person. Vines wound their way up the stalk at irregular intervals with large flat leaves periodically thrusting outward to catch the sun. A mixture of greens, yellows and browns painted the wonder of vegetation and the entire ecological structure stretched up until it disappeared into the clouds above them. All the members of the group stopped to study the rather unnatural clouds above them. About the point at which the beanstalk disappeared into the clouds there was a heavier concentration of clouds than anywhere else and the clouds directly around the beanstalk were darker looking than any other clouds currently in the sky. Magic was the unspoken word on the tip of everyone’s tongue as they studied the unnatural occurrence. 

“It’s big,” Emma said, finally breaking the silence, uttering the two words slowly, pausing between each as she looked up at the towering plant. Granted, she was more than slightly impressed, but she also didn’t want to tell Hook that. Mostly, she just thought it was ridiculous looking plant but her life at the moment was generally ridiculous. In an odd way the ridiculousness of the beanstalk just went along with everything else currently going wrong in her life. 

“Yes, well, it does have to support a castle.” Shrugging Hook looked over at the group searching for an interesting reaction amongst one of them. Not finding one he sighed and gestured at the beanstalk. 

“Now, the compass itself, is said to be in the giant’s treasure room at the top of the beanstalk. Myself, and a volunteer, I would prefer the lovely Aurora but I understand your reticence to leave us alone up there. Who knows what we might do,” Hook paused and winked at Aurora. She merely rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the coy smile from slipping across her lips.

“As I was saying, a volunteer will climb up the beanstalk with me and we shall retrieve the compass.” Hook snapped his fingers to suggest it was just as easy as that. 

“Why can it only be two?” Snow White bit down on her lower lip and studied Hook. 

She didn’t trust the pirate one bit. Aurora seemed like a nice enough girl and Snow really wanted to like her but Hook was another story. There was something about him that made her skin crawl and her hand want to grab for her knife.

“That is because,” Hook lifted up his left wrist and showed off the plain, black leather cuff tied around it. “I only have two of these. The beanstalk is enchanted, these cuffs, courtesy of Cora, will allow us to pass through. Originally Aurora and I were going to go up there alone but well, that plan has clearly changed.” Turning his head Hook gave Aurora a disappointed look but she just shook her head at him. “Why don’t you decide amongst yourselves, ladies, don’t be afraid to fight it out.” Hook gave the three women a little wave and a cheeky wink. 

Turning he jerked his chin at Aurora indicating that he wanted to speak to her alone. She raised one imperious eyebrow and stared down at her nose at him for a moment before carefully starting to step away from the group. 

“I’m going,” Emma said looking at the group before they could even start to talk or Hook could move away. Her voice rang with determination. She held up her hand when Snow went to object. Snow White’s nostrils flared and she started to open her mouth again but Emma just shook her head.

Drawing a deep breath Emma stared down Snow White. “No one is fighting me on this. I am going.” 

Hook just shrugged a shoulder and casually began to pull the spare cuff off his wrist. Snow stepped forward and grabbed a hold of Emma’s arm yanking her away. The two stood away from the others whispering to each other in a heated discussion. It ended as quickly as it began and Emma came stamping back over to Hook. Snow glared at Emma’s back as she walked, righteous fury practically radiating off of her. 

“Just put it on me and no funny business.” Emma thrust her wrist at Hook and glared at the man.

Hook smiled sweetly and waved Aurora over. The princess took the cuff from him and carefully wound it around Emma’s wrist. Grasping the thin ties Aurora carefully closed the cuff about Emma’s wrist. Shaking her head Aurora took a few steps away from Emma. Aurora was not fond of the idea of Hook going up the beanstalk with strangers but she wasn’t going to object. 

“Emma,” Snow called over to Emma and waved a hand indicating the girl needed to come over to talk something out. Phillip and Mulan had moved away to stand with Snow. It was clear that all three had something on their minds.

“Wait here.” Emma pointed at the spot but Hook merely raised an eyebrow and did his best to look innocent. 

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Hook stood with Aurora to the right of the beanstalk, as Emma strode over to the other little group to hash out whatever plan the Enchanted Forest natives had come up with. Aurora ignored the four whispering individuals and turned her attention to Hook. She began to tidy up his clothes, straightening his shirt and tightening buckles that had come loose while they had been walking.

“Are you worried about me?” Hook leaned down towards her a grin spreading across his face. He always relished whenever Aurora showed obvious concern, she could be very good at playing coy when it came to deeper emotions. 

“Why would I be worried? You’re only going to steal a compass from a giant. It certainly isn’t the most foolish thing you’ve ever done.” Aurora fiddled with a few of the ties on Hook’s vest, making sure they were tight and secure. Her voice was tight and she yanked harder on the ties than was absolutely necessary. 

“Yes, but I will be up there alone with another woman. Surely you must have some reservations.” Tilting his head Hook spoke gently into Aurora’s ear so he could hide the wide grin on his face. 

“I might be worried if I thought she actually liked you or even worse, if she trusted you.” Giggling Aurora reached up a hand to brush him away from her ear. His scruff tickled the skin and always made her squirm. Right now though she was mostly annoyed at the feelings that were elicited from the sensation of his warm breath sliding across her ear.

“But you trust me.” Hook turned and nuzzling his nose gently against her cheek before pulling away and straightening up.

“For some mad reason it would seem that yes, I do indeed trust you. I can’t think of why. You are after all a notorious pirate and a terrible scoundrel.” Aurora smiled at him but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes as she tugged on his vest nervously. In all her years with the pirates, Aurora had never been able to master the art of the fake smile. 

“Well, I think I have more reason to be worried than you. That boy has been making cow eyes at you ever since he found out you were the sleeping princess. I think he might be smitten,” Hook made a horrified face, as somehow the entire idea was abhorrent to him. He pressed his lips together stifling a laugh. 

“Really? Do you think so?” Trying to hide a smile Aurora looked over her shoulder at Phillip. The young prince was staring at her with a strange, lost look in his eyes. For a moment she met them but feeling awkward she quickly glanced away. Turning her attention back to Hook she looked up into his eyes. There was something calculating in those eyes but they were familiar and that gave her comfort. 

Putting on a cheerful voice, she licked her lips and said, “Do you think that if I tell him my marriage was a sham, he’d marry me and make a queen of me?” 

Scowling Hook took Aurora’s hands in his one hand and brought them up to press soft kisses to the backs of her fingers. “Your marriage was, is, no sham and you don’t need him to make you a queen, princess.”

“Then why do you still call me princess?” Aurora raised an eyebrow in a challenging manner. There was a dark twist of laughter bubbling up in her throat and she had to swallow to keep it down.

“Because, you have never had a coronation.” Grinning Hook nipped at the tip of one of her fingers. 

Some part of Hook twisted at the thought and that familiar little voice rose up in the back of his mind. Someday, the voice said, someday you will give her all the things she should have had, but that day is not today. It will be soon though, soon. The voice was a dreadful liar because it had been telling him the day would be soon for nearly fifty years. 

“Maybe I will change that.” Tilting her head to the side Aurora freed her fingers and brought one up to brush over Hook’s chin.

“Not too soon, I hope.” Glancing over Hook saw Emma starting to walk towards them once again. Leaning down Hook pressed a soft kiss to Aurora’s forehead. “No tears my darling, I will be back soon.”

“And when have I ever shed a tear over you being gone?” Aurora looked up at Hook with a funny sort of sadness in her eyes. There was a certain truth to the statement but it was tightly wrapped around an old, familiar lie. 

“I like to imagine you sob yourself to sleep every time that I leave.” Smirking Hook pulled away and went to join Emma at the base of the beanstalk. He threw Aurora one last little salute before he started to climb the beanstalk.   
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Aurora watched silently as Hook headed up the beanstalk with Emma. She had long taken up a comfortable position on a log nearby. Mulan had begun to pace around the camp, if it could be called that, standing guard. Phillip had gone out to scout for supplies and that left Snow White to keep half an eye on the princess turned pirate. 

“Are you actually married?” Snow looked over at Aurora. The question had been eating away at her for days. It was one of those funny things that she couldn’t seem to shake. While it felt impertinent to ask such a question, she couldn’t help herself, she wanted to get to know Aurora better. For Snow, this seemed as good a way as any to break the ice.

Shrugging Aurora kept her eyes focused on the beanstalk, she brought up one hand to shield her eyes because weak as the sun was it still stung the unprotected eye. “There was a chaplain involved and a kiss, sort of. I had been asleep for sixty years at the time, so I’m still a bit vague on the details. You’d have to ask Hook about how legal it truly was.” 

Aurora left out that Hook had always defended the validity of their marriage, she didn’t feel right sharing that and she didn’t feel like she really had to. While she liked Snow White, and felt safe telling her certain things, she didn’t like the feeling of being judged by her. 

“Sixty years?” Snow gasped, her mouth falling open, as she stared at Aurora. It was almost unbelievable to imagine someone being under the curse for that long. Her brief tenure under the curse felt like nothing in comparison.

“Yes,” Aurora nodded slowly as Hook finally disappeared up the stalk and she could no longer see the climbing figures. 

Deep down in her stomach a part of her clenched in fear. They shouldn’t be doing this, she thought, it wasn’t right and they didn’t really need to. Well, that was the problem wasn’t it? They, didn’t need to, but Hook did. What Hook needed to do versus what they needed to do, had always been the problem. 

“What was that like?” Snow asked softly, the harsh look that had been in her eyes softening.

“It lasted forever, and barely a day, I don’t know if I could really describe it. I try not to think much on it. I’ve been awake more than I was asleep.” Aurora rubbed her hands together nervously. 

Thoughts of her time asleep always took her to a dark place. It was a place she feared to tread without Hook nearby. He had become her anchor against the darkness, holding her firmly in the light. As much as she wanted to rebel against the idea of being so beholdent to him, it had been a century, and it was hard to break habits that were that deeply ingrained. 

“I spent some time under a sleeping curse, once,” Snow looked over at Aurora a small smile on her face. Slowly Snow moved over to the log and sat down on it next to Aurora. She wanted to offer the other girl comfort as she saw the darkening storm clouds settle over the princess’s expression. 

“It is the cruelest of curses, it makes you a prisoner in your own body, trapping you in time as the world changes around you.” Aurora looked down at her hands and squeezed them together tightly. Then Aurora let out a soft broken laugh, “Not unlike Neverland.” 

“Yes, it is the cruelest of curses.” Snow pressed her lips together and reached out to squeeze Aurora’s hand. It was a tentative gesture, not sure if it would be welcomed or cast aside but Snow couldn’t help but smile when Aurora took her hand.

Aurora turned her head and looked down at their hands, studying them for a few moments, before returning the squeeze. “How long did you sleep?” 

“Days, but it felt like years.” Snow shook her head remembering the terrible time. The nightmares that had followed had been the worst. 

“You can’t move, you can’t scream but you’re there and you’re not.” Aurora squeezed Snow’s hand again, this time a bit harder. Her nails unintentionally bit down into Snow’s skin but the other woman didn’t flinch away.

Swallowing Snow nodded and then looked at Aurora carefully. “How are you feeling? Otherwise.” She coughed and looked over her shoulder. 

Phillip, who had just returned, was staring at them, studying Aurora. He was far enough away that he wouldn’t be able to overhear their conversation but Snow still gave him a look that said he should find something else to do. For a moment the Prince looked shocked but then he hurried away. 

“Fine, I suppose. I was sick again but it passes quickly. I am hoping that, all of this, will be over with quickly and I can settle down.” Aurora sighed and brought up her free hand pushing some hair back over her shoulder. It was impractical to wear her hair down but she had never been able to master braiding it. 

Nodding Snow eyed Aurora’s hair critically. It was starting to look quite a bit mussed and looked as if it could use some care. “Would you like me to help you braid your hair?” 

For a moment there was something young and vulnerable in Aurora’s eyes as she stared at Snow. Her reply was a soft, “Yes.”

Carefully Aurora turned on the log so her back was to Snow. The other woman reached out and took her hair, giving it rough finger brushing. Separating the strands Snow had to hold back the urge to sigh. She had always imagined doing this with her daughter but those were dreams for a life that no longer existed. Carefully Snow began to fold the pieces over one another. 

“What would be the first thing you would do if all of this was over with?” Snow, trying to distract herself from the sudden rush of worries about Emma, decided to turn her attention back to learning more about Aurora. In her own heart, Snow already knew what she would do. She would go home to her husband and grandson and finally have something like a family meal. 

“Dancing,” Aurora smiled to herself, her eyes misting over with a far away look. “I would like to go dancing.” 

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They were dancing. Not the formal, structured court dancing that Aurora had learned all those years ago from her dance instructor but the wild frenzied dancing of people who simply wanted to celebrate life. Aurora swung boldly from pirate to pirate. Her finely decorated silk skirts were kicked up into the air as they tossed her about. It was playful and loud and Aurora laughed every time one of them attempted to steal a kiss. She was swift, like a rabbit, and her lips were always just out of reach. Sloppy damp kisses just barely managing to land on her cheek. So lost was she in the spinning, that she didn’t even notice the dark figure slipping in between the other dancers. The majority of the pirates were dancing by themselves, moving as though they had partners or simply performing solo jigs in amongst a sea of other solo performers. A few had been brave enough or drunk enough, to dance with their fellow crewmates, laughing and purposefully stepping on each other’s feet. 

Aurora barely noticed the change in the tempo of the music because no one was really dancing it to. It wasn’t until she felt the press of the fine buttons through her thin dress that she realized something was different. Standing before, holding her far more tightly than was actually called for, was Hook. He had one hand holding hers while his hook was slung around her waist. Slowly, Hook began to move them in a pantomime of one of those formal court dances from so long ago. In a state of shock, Aurora moved into the familiar pattern of steps, allowing him to lead her. In a daze she spun and stepped in time with Hook, the others around them seeming to fade away. A haze slid over them, like a magical fog, and Aurora allowed herself to forget where she was and what she was really doing. The man in front of her was no longer the terrible Captain Hook but a nobleman of high standing and breeding. He was, in that moment, a man fit to court and dance with a princess. The loose silk skirt Aurora wore became a fine gown and his black and red vest became brocade with heavy court jewels hanging around his neck.

They moved together, their eyes locked on one another. There was a look in Hook’s eyes that Aurora had never seen before and she couldn’t even begin to decipher it. In one moment, he would look hunted and vulnerable, yet in the next, he would be bold and confident. It seemed to Aurora that he was sliding between conflicting emotions, his body unable to reconcile itself with his mind. She found herself not really caring what he felt. He was warm against her and felt strangely solid. Aurora couldn’t remember a time when she had felt this intimate with a man before. It was a just dance she told herself but it wasn’t, it was something more. 

Yet, the dream didn’t last, and the haze vanished in a puff of smoke as an overly eager reveler bumped into Aurora and jarred her out of her private world with the captain. Looking back up into Hook’s eyes Aurora felt herself shiver. There was something strange in his eyes now. He was watching her with a look that was almost predatory and Aurora couldn’t stop herself from licking her lip slowly. As Hook went to bring their dance to a stop, Aurora grabbed at his arm. It was then that she saw it, where she inadvertently pushed his sleeve up, a small tattoo. The tattoo was of a dagger through a heart with the word ‘Milah’ emblazoned across it. Tilting her head Aurora stared at the tattoo but Hook merely yanked his arm out of her hold. Taking her hand Hook bent over it and pressed a soft kiss to the top, the very picture of courtly grace. 

“Good night princess,” He said in a soft voice. 

Left standing alone Aurora watched him go, even as he was swallowed back up in the sea of dancing pirates.   
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“You could try to make yourself slightly more pleasant company.” Hook looked over at Emma as they scaled the beanstalk. 

While, this was technically Hook’s first beanstalk climb, he didn’t want to let Emma know that. Thankfully for him, the girl was woefully inexperienced with such things, and it slowed her pace enough so that she didn’t notice how much the hook hampered his own progress. Hook was strangely thankful now, half way up the beanstalk, that he hadn’t brought Aurora with him. He would have expended too much effort worrying about her falling off and not enough focusing on the actual climb. 

“I’m not here to be your pleasant companion.” Emma glared over at Hook.

She deeply distrusted the man and she couldn’t take him seriously. The Hook from her childhood was a ridiculous man in a red coat, who chased children around for a living and captured fairies. Hook, as a reality, was not something Emma had been prepared to deal with. It had been enough of a struggle to deal with the idea of Mary Margaret as Snow White, and then Prince Phillip and Mulan had come along, further distoring her world view. Captain Hook, scourge of small flying children everywhere, was something that Emma just didn’t need in her life. So, she was doing her best to ignore him. Part of her acknowledged that she needed him and that part tried to think of him as Killian Jones, vagabond with the creepy child wife, and not as Captain Hook. Even if she called him Hook. Emma definitely did not want the pirate thinking they were friends and being familiar. 

“No, you’re here to help me steal a compass but it wouldn’t hurt if you tried for pleasant.” Hook smirked and grabbed another handhold. His shoulder protested at the awkward angle but he pushed past the pain.

“Yeah, whatever. Now, can we move it?” Emma jerked her head towards the top of the beanstalk. 

They still had a ways to go and Emma was definitely going to feel this level of exercise in the morning. Once she was out of the Enchanted Forest, Emma planned to do nothing but sleep and eat ice cream for a week. 

“Just trying to make conversation love, you have nothing to fear from me.” Hook flashed Emma a wolfish grin. He liked that he could throw her off balance and while he would never stray, he couldn’t help but enjoy provoking a reaction from beautiful women. 

“Whatever you say. Does your wife down there know you flirt with other women?” Emma glared at Hook as she climbed up another section of the beanstalk. The word ‘wife’ tasted bad in her mouth and Emma almost hated herself for saying it. Regardless of whether or not it was appropriate for their strange relationship. 

“She knows I only truly have eyes for her.” Hook, for all his bluster, did not like discussing his relationship with Aurora with anyone. For him it truly was a private thing. 

“Thinking like that will only get you into trouble,” Emma huffed and scaled another section of the stalk. 

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“Who’s Milah?” 

Jumping Smee whirled around to face an irate looking princess. Somehow she had managed to sneak up on him. Actually, if Smee really thought about it, it probably wasn’t that hard to sneak up on him. People were always getting the better of him. He had accepted it as his lot in life and tried not to complain too much about it. This was one of those times that he wished people weren’t quite so good at getting the better of him. 

Aurora was standing in the small doorway that led into the galley’s pantry. Behind her the light of the fading sun illuminated her from the back, creating a bright glow about her, while it cast shadows on her face. For an instant she looked like a truly terrifying, dark specter. Recoiling slightly Smee’s hand shot up to grab at his hat. Yanking it off his head he began to play with it nervously. Some part of Smee instinctively felt like he should be polite and gentlemanly in Aurora’s presence but he didn’t quite know how to do that. He just knew things like taking off your hat in front of a lady and opening doors. Slowly and carefully he crept towards the doorway. While it was a dream to think he could slide past Aurora, a man was allowed to have wild dreams. 

Shifting her body Aurora blocked the side he had thought to squeeze through. Sidling the other way he moved towards her far side only to find that Aurora had moved just a bit faster and once again blocked his way out. A terrified little noise slid past his lips. The princess had been with them for over a year and in that time picked up quite a few tricks and nasty habits. Being able to intimidate the wobbly little man was definitely one of her nastier habits. Fidgeting Smee kept his eyes off her face. He knew that if they made eye contact that he would crumble. They stood there for a few moments, frozen. Aurora glaring at Smee while the pudgy man tried to shift out of her harsh gaze. Finally Smee opened his mouth, his lower lip shaking in an extravagant manner.

“Please, don’t ask me about that.” Smee shuffled uncomfortably and tried to turn his back on her. It was hard though because Smee felt he should never turn his back on a proper lady.

“You’re going to tell me everything.” Aurora leaned towards Smee not letting the man slip away. 

Smee opened his mouth in a silent plea for clemency but Aurora simply pressed him. Her hand grabbed his shoulder and squeezed at the soft flesh she found there. The wobbly man, feeling he had no way out, opened his mouth and let the truth spill out like a torrent. Likes waves crashing against a shore, the story slipped from his lips. When he finally stopped Aurora gave him a slow, considering look. Then she nodded and disappeared from the pantry in a flurry of blue skirts. When she was finally gone the little man let out a sigh of relief and collapsed down onto the rough wooden floorboards.

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A few hours later, Aurora sat silently on Hook’s bed, her legs curled up under her. After her conversation with Smee she had retired to the cabin and begun to consider all he had told her. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say to Hook when she saw him but she knew that there would have to be some kind of reckoning. When the pirate came into the cabin he was more than a bit surprised to see her. Normally Aurora stayed out adventuring until later in the day. The sight of her, sitting so straight and still, on his bed no less, was definitely an unexpected one. Aurora, had long ago, firmly established that the hammock was hers and that the bed was his. 

“Well Princess, if I knew it was so easy to get you into bed,” Hook gestured expansively as he strolled toward Aurora. 

He didn’t finish the sentence because usually at this point Aurora would make some sort of scoffing noise and stop him. She didn’t though. She just kept sitting there. Feeling a bit awkward Hook bit gently down on his lower lip.

“I spoke to Smee. He told me about Milah and I believe I finally understand.” Aurora looked up at Hook a curious look in her eye. Her eyes were still slightly red rimmed like she might have been crying at one point, her lips just a little more pink than they normally would be, but she had a solidness and a strength in her shoulders that was completely foreign. 

“What do you finally get princess?” Hook’s voice had taken on a harsh tone. 

He didn’t like that Smee had gone behind his back, that Smee had the nerve to tell that story, it was not his first mates story to tell. It was no one’s story to tell. Deep in his stomach something clenched and rose up in rebellion. It made him feel sick to think about the two whispering about Milah behind his back. Curling his good hand into a fist Hook felt, for not the first time, the phantom twinge of his long lost left hand. It only made him angrier when it slowly hit his brain that he couldn’t ball both his hands into fists. 

“Why you keep trying to push me away.” Aurora’s hands were curling and uncurling nervously in her lap. There was a strange nervous energy humming through her body, like she was preparing for something. 

“And why is that exactly?” Hook slowly lowered his fist and glared down at the girl. He did not like the feeling of being pushed around by someone who was still practically a child. In Neverland, Hook had his fill of children trying to push him around and he was not going to let one sit on his bed and tell him who he was or why he did things. 

“Because you’re scared,” Aurora looked up at Hook and her eyes locked on his. 

Then, like a coiled snake, Aurora shot forward and grabbed Hook’s jacket. She pulled him towards herself, pressing a sloppy kiss to his mouth. Hook’s hand came up reflexively and then dropped. While he wanted to grab at the princess, at the same time he couldn’t bring himself to touch her. The kiss was brief, and had more teeth than either one of them would have liked. Aurora’s lip wound up getting cut in the process and would probably be puffy and swollen the next day. When it ended Aurora simply dropped away, landing heavily down on the bed. Hook stared down at her not sure of what to do next. He felt shaken down to his very core. 

“I won’t be pushed away. Whether or not you will have me is my decision and you cannot force my hand under the guise of wanting to protect me.” With that Aurora rose slowly from the bed, unfolding herself in as ladylike a manner as she could. Striding to the door of the cabin she stopped and turned back to Hook. “I will be sleeping on the mainland tonight so that you might have some time to consider what I’ve said.” 

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“Now this is a lovely thing,” Hook bent over and pulled a sparkling gold, sapphire and diamond necklace out of the mass of treasure that was strewn about the giant’s keep. 

The inside of the keep was a mass giant gray stone, largely undecorated, and roughly cut. On nearly every available surface treasure lay. Most of it was just carelessly tossed on the floor. Gold coins freely mixed with scepters and crowns snuggled up against shining shields. There was enough treasure within the giant’s castle to make ten kingdoms rich. Next to the necklace was a hair net made of fine gold thread and glittering jewels. He bent down and carefully picked that one up. Without even thinking about it he slid the hairnet into his pocket while balancing the necklace on his hook.

“Do you think this would suit Aurora?” Turning it over Hook considered the lightly colored jewels set in their fine golden settings. It looked a bit ostentatious for Aurora, she had always preferred simpler jewelry set against fine gowns, but he doubted she could complain overly much.

“Seriously? We need to find that compass before the giant wakes up and you’re worried about shopping for your girlfriend?” Emma could barely contain the disgust in her voice. 

It aggravated her that the man was charming and genuine when he spoke of the princess but otherwise a complete and utter lying bastard. She didn’t like to think that he might actually care about the girl, that was a scenario Emma couldn’t even begin to comprehend. If he actually cared for the princess, then that meant he couldn’t fit into the box Emma had set aside for him. Emma needed people to fit inside their neat little boxes right now. Too many people running around boxless would just aggravate the insane chaos that was churning around her. 

“Girlfriend? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that term before but I do always like to bring back Aurora pretty things. She had so many of them and now they’re all gone.” Hook rubbed his thumb thoughtfully over one of the gems. He remembered Aurora’s little hammock that had glittered like a bird’s nest, so many treasures now lost to the waves. 

Emma’s disgusted grimace drew Hook’s attention. “You don’t care much for love do you?” 

Turning his head he looked over at her and considered Emma carefully. Hook knew what a broken heart looked like, he also knew what a person who hid from love looked like, from personal experience on both accounts. When he considered Emma he could see the story she was trying to hide. It almost made him pity her. Almost, being the operative word. 

“I find it hard to believe you actually love her and that she actually loves you.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest ready to bolt. She needed that compass and she really didn’t have time to play games with Hook. They had no guarantee on when the giant would awaken, Mulan hadn’t been sure how long it would last and there was no way of telling. 

“Yes but what you seem to fail to appreciate,” Hook knelt down again and freed another piece of jewelry from under a pile of coins. It was a lovely, delicate bracelet that would look fine on Aurora’s wrist. He slid that into another pocket. “Is that we have had a hundred years to learn how to love one another. What’s the longest you’ve ever been with someone?”

“That is none of your business, now come on.” Emma jerked a thumb towards the treasure room. That irked Emma, the idea that he somehow had a superior relationship to any she had ever had simply due to time. How you stayed with someone for a century was beyond Emma but she wouldn’t tell Hook that. 

Sighing Hook rose to his feet and tucked away one last trinket. Perhaps it would brighten Aurora’s mood if he could bring her back something lovely. She was still in that sullen, grouchy mood she had been in since learning about Cora’s plan. It hadn’t been an easy thing to convince her to even consider working with Cora in the first place. The complicated path that had eventually led him to Cora was one that Aurora had nearly abandoned him on. He owed his beautiful girl something for her patience.   
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Hook was going to try to buy Aurora’s forgiveness. He knew it was a shameful thing to do but it was all he could do to think of. After the incident where she had kissed him, as uncomfortable and awkward as that kiss had been, it had tormented him. He had taken his frustrations out on Aurora and the crew. Inciting fights, leaving her stranded, doing everything he could think of to be terrible and yet none of it seemed to work. She only grew angrier with him but she refused to leave, like a barnacle that could simply not be scraped from the hull. Then it had hit Hook, he didn’t want her to leave, whenever he thought that she might leave, his heart would seize inside his chest. So, here he was, standing outside his cabin like a nervous boy, a necklace clenched in his fist. It was a simple thing but it had all he had been able to acquire on short notice. 

Rapping sharply on the door, he waited for a few beats before stepping inside. Aurora was seated at his desk, a book held in her hands, but she didn’t turn to look at him. Walking over, Hook leaned down and slowly slipped the necklace around her neck as carefully as he could manage. Aurora lowered her book and stared down at what was now hanging around her neck. It was a lovely piece, set in silver, with a thin chain and a jewel that matched her eyes hanging in a silver setting. Turning her head she stared up at him in surprise. With her wide eyes swimming in confusion Hook felt at a loss for words. So he did the only thing he could think of. 

Leaning down slowly Hook cupped the back of Aurora’s head and pressed a slow kiss to her lips. “Forgive me,” He murmured against them softly.

“Hook,” Aurora said the words softly as she pulled away from him. She started to shake her head but he spoke before she could send him away. 

“Killian,” Hook curled his fingers into Aurora’s hair. “Killian Jones.”

Aurora just stared back at the man not fully understanding.

“Long before I was Captain Hook, I was Killian Jones. I would have you know that name and call me by it.” Hook leaned away and let his hands slip from her hair. He would never be able to say more than that, it was all he had to offer her. 

“Killian,” Aurora said softly. The name sounded strange on her lips and she wasn’t sure if it even matched the man. This was not a man in her mind who was called Killian Jones. 

“Say it again,” Hook leaned down and caught Aurora’s lips in another kiss. This one she returned, her hands coming up to grab at his shoulders.

“Killian,” She whispered against his lips when he pulled away long enough to draw a quick breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are my own.


	5. Chapter 5

With the compass in hand, Hook and Emma descended back down the beanstalk. The mood between them was tense and crackling with unvented aggression. Fighting the giant for a second time had not been an easy thing and nearly cost them their lives. When it was over Emma had been extremely tempted to leave Hook stranded at the top. Actually, Emma had very nearly left Hook stranded at the top but then the man had the audacity to remind Emma of Aurora, his sweet innocent Aurora, waiting for him back on the ground. It wasn’t that Emma was particularly attached to the girl or even liked her but she would have felt like a real heel if she left Aurora stranded and alone down at the bottom of the beanstalk for hours. Aurora didn’t deserve that, even if Emma thought she had spectacularly bad taste in boyfriends or husbands. Whatever. 

Their slow climb downward gave Emma plenty of time to think up lists upon lists of reasons for why Hook was the worst man in two worlds. First on the list was how he flirted with her constantly, almost like it was some latent reflex, and in Emma’s honest opinion, most of his little quips felt rehearsed and rehashed. Then there was the fact that he kept stealing things from the giant. He was like a little kid or a bird that just couldn’t help itself. Hook just kept picking up shiny things and shoving them in his pockets. Also, Emma wanted to know why he felt it necessary to sniff the gold. That had gone down as one of the more bizarre things she had seen him do. The litany of complaints inside of Emma’s head went on and on, by the time she was done it probably could have filled a book but it nonetheless kept her well and truly occupied as she descended down the beanstalk. 

The ground rose up much more quickly than Emma anticipated, a fact she was grateful for, because her arms felt like they were about to fall off. As they hopped off at the bottom of the beanstalk, the others hurried over to greet them. Emma quickly produced the compass from her pocket so that she could show Mary Margaret while Hook and Aurora separated from the group. Phillip and Mulan huddled in close to Emma and Snow, keeping the compass hidden from Hook’s wandering gaze. The pirate, however, was otherwise occupied and not paying much attention. He had lead Aurora a few steps away from the others so that they could have some privacy. 

Reaching into his pocket, Hook extracted the fine bracelet he had taken from the giant’s treasure room. He would save the other treasures for later but this was something small she could wear now. Holding it out to her Hook smiled.

“A token, for my princess.” 

Aurora slid the bracelet off his hook and fingered it slowly. A small smile slid across her face and she carefully unclasped it before slipping it onto her wrist. Once it was secure she held her arm up for inspection. The piece was made up of tiny, interconnected leaves that wrapped around her thin wrist. Some ingenious craftsmen had added into the design tiny flowers made of pearl and diamond chips. It was a sparkling creation in silver and white.

“Its beautiful,” Aurora murmured lowering her arm back down. Rising onto her toes she pressed a soft kiss to Hook’s cheek. “Thank you.” 

“You don’t need to thank me, my darling. I couldn’t bear to see you go unadorned for much longer.” Grinning, Hook brought up a finger and stroked it over the soft curve of her cheek, pleased that she liked the trinket. Sometimes Aurora could be difficult to impress. 

For a moment Hook’s eyes flicked around the clearing in a very purposeful manner as though he was searching for something. Aurora’s brows narrowed together in confusion as she stared up at him but in an instant his focus was back on her. Hook gave Aurora a warm smile and carefully slid an arm around her back, pulling her just a bit closer. 

Bending down close to Aurora’s ear Hook whispered softly, “Are you ready?”

Aurora’s eyes widened for a moment and she stared at Hook confused as to what he could be asking her about. He threw her a small smile just before black smoke began pouring into the clearing. In a matter of seconds it had engulfed the entire area. Coughing Aurora tried to desperately wave it away from her face but it was thick and heavy with a damp texture to it. Closing her eyes, to keep out the burning smoke, Aurora tried to lower herself down to the ground to get away from the worst of it but there was not escaping it. It was not a natural sort of smoke. 

Then Hook was gone. She felt his arm leave her waist and she reached out to grab for him but he moved too fast. The strange sensation of something snaking around her ankle made her shriek and jump away. Stumbling Aurora waved her arms around as she coughed and tried to see through the smoke. It burned her eyes and she had to close her eyes again out of desperation. Twisting this way and that, Aurora tried to call out for Hook but the smoked filled her lungs. 

Unsteady on her feet, Aurora bumped awkwardly into another body. Turning her head she blinked through the thick smoke and saw the hazy features of Snow White. For a moment the two stared at each other in horror before Snow was yanked back. Aurora’s hands shot out to grab at her but Snow was gone too fast. The other woman just simply disappeared. Light began to crackle on the edge of clouds, almost like some sort of strange, low ground lightening storm.

Horrified, Aurora tried to find Snow, groping in the dark for at least one familiar figure, but instead she tripped over a large root. Hitting the ground, Aurora let out a pained gasp. Her chin scrapped against the dirt and her jaw smacked into a rock. Whimpering, Aurora turned her head and saw the smoke clear for just a moment. Aurora froze as she made out Snow. The woman was wrapped in heavy, thorny vines that were pinning her to the ground. They looked like the ones that covered the beanstalk but thinner and they seemed to move of their own accord. Winding around Snow they looked more like snakes and tightened every time she struggled. Grabbing at the vines, Aurora tried to pull them away but they simply twisted more, wrapping around her own wrists. Aurora yanked her hands away but the vines pursued her. 

“Run!” shouted Snow as she continued to struggle against her confinement. Snow’s brows were knitting in pain as the vines strived to squeeze the life from her.

In the distance Phillip was valiantly fighting against a hazy figure that kept appearing and disappearing. The smoke burned at Aurora’s eyes and she had to squint in order to focus. She watched as Phillip, in desperation, fling his sword at the figure standing in the distance. The figure vanished again and the sword slid through the vapor, embedding itself in a nearby tree. From beneath Phillip’s feet vines shot up and grabbed him. They pulled him down and bound him as tightly as they had Snow. Aurora heard a cry of outrage and spun around to see the vines envelop Mulan, even as she fiercely swung her sword at them, and drag her to the ground. Aurora went to run to Mulan but a vine came up and wrapped around her ankles. A second shot up to grab at her wrist. They did not bind her as tightly as the others but they stopped her from moving. Twisting Aurora desperately tugged at them, trying to free herself. 

“Hook!” Aurora screamed in desperation, her head twisting from side to side. The smoke burned at her lungs but she kept calling for him. “Killian,” She shouted her voice turning hoarse as she tried to find him. Another vine rose up out of the ground and wrapped itself around her mouth, silencing her cries.

Emma, who was a short distance away, heard Aurora’s panicked cries but couldn’t see the other girl. Then the screams just stopped and Emma felt something deep inside of her chill. She instinctively went for a gun that wasn’t there and had to restrain a soft cry when she found it missing. The smoke kept moving around her, forming into a heavy wall whenever she tried to move forward, only to suddenly disappear and reform in front of her again when she tried to move in a new direction. Then she felt someone slide up behind her. She knew it had to be a person because it felt more solid than the smoke. Emma went to protect the compass but a hook around her wrist prevented her from moving and a sharp elbow to the cheek knocked her down. Lifting her head, Emma found Hook standing over her. The pirate reached down and calmly plucked the compass from her pocket.

“Sorry my dear, but its just business.” 

Blowing Emma a little kiss, Hook stepped away as vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around Emma. The blond was tethered firmly to the ground as the pirate practically skipped away. With the compass now firmly in hand Hook began to look for Aurora. He had heard her calling for him but her cries had suddenly stopped. Around him the smoke began to clear, creating something not unlike the eye of a storm. Out of the parting smoke came Cora, her bottle of magic dust firmly in hand. Reaching into one of his pockets Hook pulled out the giant's destroyed magic bean. Hook had snagged the bean when Emma hadn't been looking. With a casual flick of his wrist, Hook and tossed it to the witch. Cora caught it easily enough and thrust it into the jar of magic dust. With a hearty shake Cora allowed the glowing dust to coat the bean in magic. 

Smirking Cora watched as the bean began to swell from the magic, turning from a dull, dead gray color to a more lively green that practically sparkled from the reinvigorated magic. Returning the smile, Hook continued to hold onto the compass, not quite willing to relinquish it yet. When Cora was satisfied the bean was in proper order she shook it out of the wardrobe dust and held it up. 

“Now, to Storybrooke,” Cora’s grin turned decidedly nasty as she tossed the bean at the nearby ground.

When the bean struck it began to form a giant, swirling vortex of dirt and rock. The smoke Cora had used as cover was sucked into the spiral, making the entire thing look more like a portal to the underworld than a gateway to Maine. Hook couldn’t stop his eyes from crinkling up in joy; he was finally going to get his crocodile. Then something niggled at the back of his mind, a thought that refused to go away, and demanded to be acknowledged.

“Aurora.” He spun shouting the girl’s name. “I need Aurora.” 

“We need to go, now!” Cora’s hand shot out and grabbed Hook’s wrist. Her grip was tighter than any vise and her fingers felt like iron bars.

“But what about Aurora?” Hook’s eyes darted between the portal and the smoke behind them, torn. 

Hook did not want to leave Aurora in this world, he loved her, and he had loved her for many years. Yet, he had promised long ago to avenge Milah, his first love. Milah who had died because of a weak and spiteful man who believed magic made him better than everyone. If he abandoned his quest now he would be no better than the crocodile that had stolen Milah from him. Cora’s hand tightening on his arm drew Hook’s attention back to the older woman.

“I’ll send you back to her later. Don’t you have a crocodile to skin? What’s more important to you?” Cora raised an eyebrow and gave Hook a slow look.

The pirate glanced down at the compass in his hand and swallowed slowly. Aurora would understand, she knew how important this was to him and he would come back for her. Once he had killed Rumpelstiltskin, he would come back for her and all would be fine. 

With the barest hint of a nod, Hook shifted his hand and pulled the compass out of his pocket with his hook. He dropped it into his open hand and Cora immediately clasped her hand down on top of it. As one person they stepped through the portal. 

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With Cora gone, her magic began to disappear with her. The smoke was the first thing to go, slowly fading away and dissipating on the wind. One by one, the vines unwound themselves from about their captives. Aurora, who been able to watch as Hook walked, unconcerned for her safety, through the portal, dropped to the ground once she was free of the vines. The movement was not unlike a puppet suddenly having its strings cut. 

“He left me,” the small, broken sounding words seemed to crawl their way out of her throat. 

Aurora let out a soft sob as tears began to slide from her eyes. Her hands dropped down and her nails dragged through the dirt. She had spent one hundred years with him and he had just left her, forgotten her. In the end everything she had feared about Killian was true. His love of Milah and his desire for vengeance was greater than any feelings he may have held for her. Overwhelmed by it all Aurora just sat on the ground and quietly sobbed as the others began to pick themselves up. 

Mulan was the first to her feet. Enraged she went to strike at the princess but was quickly cut off by Snow White. The older woman practically threw herself between the warrior and the fallen girl, shaking her head and glaring at Mulan. Pushing the warrior woman away, Snow White strode over to Aurora and wrapped a comforting, maternal arm around her shoulder. Pulling the frightened girl close, Snow let her cry. Disgusted Emma shoved herself to her feet, brushing off dirt and other plant detritus with more force than was entirely necessary. Phillip picked himself up carefully and went to collect his sword from the tree it was currently stuck in. There was a great deal of tugging and grunting involved in the process. Sickened by Snow’s actions, Mulan went to aid Phillip. Emma, feeling undeterred by Aurora’s apparent unhappiness, strode over to them. 

“What the hell just happened?” Emma snarled, glaring down at Aurora. Snow’s head snapped up and she quickly shook her head at Emma trying to warn her off. The blond, however, was not to be deterred. “What happened Aurora?” Emma pressed a second time leaning over the prone figure.

“Emma! Now is not the time. I think it is pretty obvious what happened and you need to calm down for a moment.” Snow spoke softly, her arms tightening around Aurora, as she tried to convey maternal authority using just a slightly furrowed brow.

“Really? If it is that obvious, than can someone please explain it to me?” It was driving Emma mad, how obvious everything was supposed to be here and she was tired of being the one in the dark.

“Well, Cora and Hook clearly tricked us and went through the portal to Storybrooke.” Snow said the words slowly and carefully. She wasn’t particularly happy about the situation, actually, she was downright furious but she knew that screaming at the abandoned, pregnant girl wasn’t going to help anyone. If anything, Snow wanted to beat the life out of Hook. The man might not know about Aurora’s situation but how could he just abandon her?

In her arms, Aurora let out a sad little sniffling noise and wiped at her face. For a few moments no one said anything. Phillip carefully put his sword away, having finally freed it while Mulan began to pace like a caged animal, her gaze fixed on Aurora. Snow continued to carefully rub Aurora’s arm in a sign of support.

“So what do we do now?” Emma tapped a foot in agitation. She had wanted to get back to her son and her only way back there had just vanished into the dirt. 

“We’ll just have to find another portal, somehow.” Snow sighed heavily even as she said the words. She had no idea where they would find a portal but she told herself to remain optimistic. 

“I thought this was our one shot?” There was an accusatory tone in Emma’s voice as though she was placing just a bit of blame on Snow. 

Snow didn’t reply. She had nothing to say that could make Emma feel any better. Instead she just bit down gently on her lower lip and drew in a slow, calming breath through her nose. Sure, Snow wanted to stomp around and scream too but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. What they all needed to do right now was to calm down and form a new plan. 

Aurora softly cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence. “I may know of a way to get you back to your Storybrooke.” Aurora sniffed one last time and wiped at her eyes. Her tears were finally drying but Snow still brought up a hand to run it soothingly over her hair. 

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” Emma put her hands on her hips. She found it awfully convenient that Aurora suddenly had a way to get back to Storybrooke. 

“When I was living in Neverland, we occasionally traveled to other worlds. We could do that because the Jolly Roger was, for lack of a better word, infected, with fairy dust. The fairy dust allowed us to travel through pre-existing portals. It was only to certain places using well tread pathways but we could travel between realms.” Aurora fidgeted nervously with her cloak.

She brought up a finger to wipe gently at the bottom of her nose. Her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest but she wasn’t going to sit on the ground crying any longer. She had learned long ago that she couldn’t just sit around and feel sorry for herself. Aurora figured if she could get through learning about the deaths of her parents, everyone she knew and the destruction of her home, then she could survive being abandoned by Hook. Deep underneath all her hurt was anger. A rage that was threatening to well up out of her throat and explode out, destroying everything in its path. These people had been kind to her, gentle with her when they didn’t have to be, and they had been repaid for their kindness with treachery. Not only had she been abandoned but they had been as well.

That very thought made Aurora furious and she wanted to do something to quell her anger. Helping them seemed like a good way to start towards releasing her anger. At the very least it would keep her busy. 

“How does that help us? I don’t see a magical pirate ship anywhere.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest.

“If we could find the dwarf mines and get some fairy dust, we might be able to use the hole that still exists from where you first crossed through. The one that you said was in the wardrobe. In that case a direct path would exist so we wouldn’t need the compass and you could just follow the path. Sort of like a magic key.” Aurora looked over at Snow White feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. 

Shifting slightly from side to side from nervous energy, Aurora’s eyes darted around to glance at the various members of the group. Her understanding of existing paths was that they were sort of like doorways. If you had the magic to open the door then all you had to do was step through. It was not a particularly sophisticated understanding but she hoped that it would suffice. 

“Are you sure about this?” Snow asked squeezing Aurora’s shoulder gently. While Snow wanted to trust Aurora, she wasn’t completely sure about this course of action. “Not completely but from what I understand about how portals work, it may be a viable plan.” Aurora twisted the fabric of her cloak nervously in her hands. She wasn’t used to being studied like this. It made her skin crawl just a bit.

“Does anyone, perhaps, have a better solution?” Phillip spoke up looking around at the group. He felt the need to defend Aurora but he didn’t want to start a fight with the others. There had been enough fighting that day. 

One by one Mulan, Emma and Snow all shook their heads. Their options were limited and some sort of plan was better than no sort of plan. Mulan was torn on whether or not to object to the plan. She felt inclined to agree with Phillip but she didn’t trust Aurora. Emma was in a similar situation but the trusting expression in Snow’s eyes was swaying her. 

Aurora rose slowly from the ground brushing off her knees. When she looked at her hands she saw that there was dirt embedded under her nails and covering her hands. Wincing she clapped her hands together even though she knew that it wasn’t going to do any good. Snow rose with her and started dusting off her own pants. 

“Alright, then. It’s decided. I guess we’re going to the dwarf mines.” Emma drew a deep breath. “Where are they?” She looked over at Snow who appeared thoughtful for a moment. 

“I know where they are but they’re quiet a distance from here. The entrance is located near Cinderella’s kingdom. They run underneath most of the kingdom and into a few other kingdoms.” Snow looked over at Aurora and stopped herself from dusting the dirt off of Aurora. It was an instinctual maternal gesture and Snow kind of wanted to kick herself for it. Aurora certainly did not need her to mother her. “We should start heading that way now, it’s going to take us a couple of days to get there.”

Looking over at the others Snow watched as they all nodded in agreement, no felt much like arguing anymore. 

“We will have to get some supplies.” Mulan sheathed her sword slowly and went to pick up her own small bag of supplies. 

“I still have Hook’s maps,” Aurora cleared her throat uncomfortably. She gestured at her brown bag that was a short distance away. Hook had given her the map, he claimed, for safekeeping. She has assumed he had really given it to her so that he could carry more treasure in his own bag. “We can use them to find water and the like.”

Mulan gave Aurora a suspicious look but nodded slowly. Snow smiled warmly at Aurora.

“That will be really helpful. We’ll gather some food, maybe do some fishing, it will slow us down but we won’t starve.” Snow looked around at the others watching as they nodded. Emma looked unsure but she nodded nonetheless.

“I’m good at fishing,” Aurora piped up. She wasn’t sure why she said it but she felt like she had to say something that made her seem useful. 

“That’s really good Aurora,” Snow gave her a reassuring smile and stretched out a hand to pat the other girl’s shoulder gently.  
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Now that they had their plan set firmly between them, the group headed out across the landscape. Mulan and Emma still refused to look at Aurora with any kindness, while Snow kept the girl company. Snow knew of Aurora’s complicated situation and couldn’t help but empathize with her. Phillip followed along silently at the back of the group. His eyes were focused on the land around them, searching for any possible signs of danger. It took them nearly five days to cross the wastes between the beanstalk and the mines. It was treacherous going with ogres and other beasts at nearly every turn. The group only had one roughshod tent between them and no blankets. Instead of sleeping in the tent they huddled together underneath the tent fabric. Each night they lit a small fire and whoever was on guard would have to curl up close to it, trying to stay warm. A particularly fearsome pack of wolves forced them into hiding up a tree one night and the meager rations they had managed to gather began to run low on the fourth day. 

Aurora proved to be useful in this case, once again, carefully scavenging for much needed foodstuffs and fishing on occasion. Her time in Neverland had served her well and she did know what sorts of plants were edible. Snow and Aurora would often disappear off into the woods on little gathering trips. The strangest thing was that as the group drew closer to the mines, the days seemed to grow darker. Unsure of the reasons for it the group instinctively tightened ranks, hands always at their weapons. Aurora, who had initially possessed a small knife, was now weaponless. Emma and Mulan did not trust her with the means to hurt any of them. Snow had taken to carrying Aurora’s knife and would pass it back to the girl whenever she needed it. Phillip was mostly quiet throughout the whole ordeal. He watched Aurora with a strange, lost look and his eyes would occasionally skitter to Mulan where his expression would become filled with guilt. 

As they crossed into Cinderella’s kingdom, the group's pace began to pick up. They could see the castle in the distance and they knew this leg of their journey was coming to an end. In the distance the sun began to set, nearly an hour earlier than it had the day before. 

“I don’t like it.” Mulan stared at the sun as it began to dip below the horizon. The waning light bathed the landscape in an ominous red tone. 

“It is very worrying,” Snow agreed, nodding her head slowly. For a moment the entire kingdom looked as though it was covered in blood but the light quickly shifted turning the earth to a dark gray. 

“You mean this shouldn’t be happening?” Emma looked around at the others and Phillip just shook his head. None of them had seen the light behave in quite such a manner before. 

“It is months from wintertime, the days should be longer.” Phillip clutched his hands nervously. He was far from his own kingdom and even he knew that this was unnatural.

“It must be the magic, maybe something left over from the curse.” Aurora looked at the others not sure her insights would be wanted. She had the seen strange things happen in Neverland because of magic. 

“Maybe or it could be Cora,” Snow shook her head not willing to let go of the idea that the other woman could still be influencing the kingdom. 

“What do you mean? Cora’s gone.” Emma turned her head to face Snow, completely ignoring Aurora.

“Yes, but she could have done something or the way she made a portal could have done something. Magic always leaves a mark, it always has a price and let us hope that it has already been paid.” Sighing Snow watched as the sun began to dip further below the horizon. “This is deeply troubling.” 

Nodding the group began to move forward again. They were getting close to the mines and they wanted to try to camp there for the night. Picking up their pace, they hurried across the uneven ground and up a small incline. The incline turned slowly into a peak and the group found themselves having to follow a narrow goat path that was strewn with rocks and scraggly looking shrubs. 

“There, the dwarf mines.” Snow pointed down at the entrance. The entrance was not an impressive thing. It was a rough opening cut into a rocky cliff. A few wooden support beams could be seen propping up the arch. All and all, it was very unassuming and decidedly not mystical looking. One would not be inaccurate in referring to it as being dilapidated and long abandoned. 

“I thought it would, I don’t know, be more impressive. Have a bit more hi-ho, to it.” Emma shrugged as she stared down at the small and unassuming entrance.

“It’s a mine. The dwarves had plenty of hi-ho, all on their own. The mines didn’t exactly need it. I will admit that it was in better shape the last time I saw it.” Sighing heavily Snow headed over the edge of the peak and led the way down the narrow path that lead to the mine.

Every footstep was carefully placed as the ground proved to be treacherous. Small pebbles and bits of earth slid down towards the mines entrance in their wake. Approaching the mine, the group came to a slow stop. There was a loud sound of something crunching and snuffling coming from nearby. Almost as one, they turned to face a little patch of trees just a few feet from the mine. The sounds of breaking and crashing got louder as something drew closer. Then the sound turned into more of a heavy pounding and a mighty roar came echoing out from the depths of the trees. Bursting through the sparse undergrowth was a large bear. 

It was a massive black beast, scarred with a huge hump protruding from its back. Giant, jagged claws hung from every limb and its snout looked as though it had been broken and healed improperly multiple times. When it opened its mouth to roar a second time, the sound was accompanied by the terrible stench of death. In the pale blue moonlight the bear’s long fangs practically gleamed. For a moment the bear paused, seeming to study its prey, and then it charged. 

The five humans dived out of the way, desperately trying to stay away from the slashing claws and snapping jaws. Emma, thrown to the side, struck her head against a rock and fell to the ground, dazed. Aurora slid along the ground on her stomach, scraping her hand on a bush as Phillip dived to cover her. Mulan and Snow found themselves rolling into the mines entrance as the monster charged past them. Realizing it didn’t have any prey in its jaws, the bear spun around and prepared to attack again. 

Spotting Mulan and Snow as its nearest targets, the bear raced towards them. Scrambling for their respective weapons the two women tried to fend it off. Seeing their plight, Aurora, who had shoved Phillip off of her, grabbed up a rock and heaved it. She missed but the rock landed near the bear and briefly drew its attention. Picking up another rock Aurora threw it, this time striking it in the flank. It didn’t hit hard enough to injure the animal but it did draw its interest. Then, like a great black cloud, the bear bore down on Aurora. Phillip, seeing the danger, shoved Aurora out of the way. Bringing up his sword he slashed at a paw as it descended towards his head. 

The bear let out a roar of pain but didn’t back down. It brought around its other paw to swipe at Phillip and the prince quickly reacted by bringing up his sword to slash at that paw. With the bear’s back turned, Mulan rushed up and leaped, for a moment she floated through the air, and then she landed, thrusting her sword into the bear's shoulder. With a scream of pain, the bear threw back its head and thrashed from side to side trying to dislodge Mulan, but she just pushed her sword in more deeply. 

“Mulan, move!” Snow’s voice rang out.

The warrior girl glanced over her shoulder for a second, let out a small gasp, and immediately leaped away from the bear, leaving her sword imbedded in its shoulder. Snow raised her bow and began to rapidly fire arrows towards the bear’s throat. Each arrow landed true but this only seemed to make the bear turn its attentions towards Snow. Bleeding and panting heavily the bear lumbered towards Snow. No longer being attacked, Phillip rushed after the bear, leaping on its back, with far less grace than Mulan, and stabbing the creature viciously in the neck. Roaring in pain the bear threw Phillip off to the side. Stumbling forward the bear crashed towards the ground, pushing the sword deeper into its own neck. Wheezing in pain and drooling blood the bear tried to crawl towards Snow, still intent on harming her.

Darting forward Snow drew her dagger and stabbed the bear through the eye. The beast gave one last cry of pain. Then it shuddered and just stopped. For a moment there was no noise in the clearing, before the mine, as everyone waited to see if the bear would move again. Once they felt it was truly dead, they all crept towards the massive carcass. Emma was wiping at a cut on her forehead, Phillip was nursing his right arm from where he had landed on it, Mulan was limping a bit and Aurora was studying at the scrapes on her hands. Only Snow seemed unbothered by her torn palms as she stared down silently at the beast. 

“It is not natural,” Aurora said after a lengthy pause. Her voice was hushed as though she was afraid of speaking louder than a whisper. 

“It had become twisted,” Snow said softly staring down at the creature. Reaching out she pulled one of her arrows out from the beast’s neck. Wincing, she finally seemed to notice the scrapes on her hands that she got when she first dove for the mine. 

“It must be the magic left from the curse, we have seen it do things like this to other creatures.” Mulan looked over at the others and then at the mine. “Are we sure the mine is safe?” Mulan’s eyes darted about, as though not sure even the landscape could be trusted. 

Emma, who had found a pickaxe near where she had fallen, shifted her grip on the long handle. “Well, there is only one way to find out.” 

The group seemed unwilling to move. They continued to linger around the bear. 

“What should we do about it?” Phillip began to carefully extract his sword, a twinge of pain sliding across his face. Mulan was following suit and eyed the gore on her blade distastefully. 

“We are in need of food and shelter,” Snow studied the bear’s carcass, not sure she actually wanted to use the thing as a blanket but knowing they didn’t have many other options. 

“I can see to it,” Aurora stared at Snow’s dagger, still in the bear’s eye and pulled it out. “It may take me some time but it wouldn’t be the first animal I had prepared.” 

“I can help,” Snow held out her hand for the dagger. She felt a twinge of guilt when she saw the brief flash of betrayal in Aurora’s eyes but even Snow didn’t want to give Aurora a knife just yet. 

“Okay, while you do that, we’ll go into the mine. What are we looking for?” Emma looked over at Mulan and Phillip waiting for their nods of agreement. 

“Diamonds and see if you can’t find their processing equipment. The state of that will determine how quickly we can proceed.” Snow swallowed and cleaned her knife slowly. 

Nodding the group divided. Emma, Phillip and Mulan all gripped their weapons tightly as they approached the mine. With a great deal of apprehension the threesome entered into the mine. As they stepped into the mine a freezing cold burst of air blew up from its depths. It had a stale stench to it and the group recoiled for a moment before pressing on. 

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Aurora shivered and tried to warm herself up. She hated the winters in Neverland. Whenever Peter Pan left Neverland for any great length of time, the islands would grow cold and the seasons would change. The winter in the Sands had always been brief and quite moderate. Calling in winter was probably a deeply inaccurate description. It was in truth more like a very lengthy fall. 

That very lengthy fall had never prepared her for anything like this. The bay in which the ship normally floated turned to ice, snow covered the jungles and all the creatures of the islands retreated into their dens. Even the tattooed men could be seen walking about in heavy furs with great spears and fishing through the ice. All there was for Aurora to do during these cold weeks was hunker down in her hammock. Her tiny basket barely kept her warm, even when she was wrapped in layers upon layers of blankets. Hanging suspended in the air probably did not help matters. At night, when there weren’t even the most meager bits of sunlight to warm the ship, her teeth chattered so hard she shook the basket and made it sway.

It seemed to Aurora that tonight was an even colder night than usual. She had wrapped herself so tightly in her blankets that she was very nearly cocooned. Her legs had been drawn up to her chest and she pulled the blankets in tight about her body. Every time she shifted, either to try to wrap herself more tightly or to try and rub some warmth into her body, her hammock would sway. When her hammock swayed it made this ominous creaking noise. The small hooks that had been driven into the ceiling of the cabin would make sounds like they were threatening to pull away and the cords that held onto those hooks would occasionally make the sort of noises that implied they wanted to fray and fall apart. In the dark, quiet of the cabin it made an odd sort of little symphony. 

An annoyed huff came from the depths of the bed. Hook slowly climbed from his own bed and stumbled over to the basket. He was dragging a heavy quilt with him, hissing as his bare feet touched the cold floor. Reaching into the hammock he lifted Aurora out. Squeaking in indignation Aurora tried to struggle but found it to be a largely useless exercise. Her limbs were now so tightly wrapped that they would have to be freed from outside the blankets. Hook, ignoring her cries of protest, simply carried her back to his bed and dumped her into it. 

Climbing over Aurora, he pulled the blankets back up and wrapped them around them both. Aurora’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and her body heated with some other strange feeling, it wasn’t a completely unfamiliar feeling but she tried not to give it too much thought. The few kisses she had shared with Hook had felt like something stolen or out of a dream and they hadn’t had much time to be alone since. Something always seemed to come up, like attacking wild boys or a problem with the ship. This felt strangely more real than any of those simple kisses. Hook’s heavy arm was thrown over her hips and his body was pressed against her back. Even through the thick layers of blankets Aurora could feel every line of his body. Leaning forward Hook rested his chin on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry princess, your virtue will still be intact in the morning.” 

Aurora felt the hot brush of his voice on her ear and shuddered slightly. For a moment she wasn’t totally sure she wanted her virtue to be intact in the morning. Rubbing her lips together she pulled the blankets more tightly against her. Hook merely made a soft snorting noise and pressed his face into her shoulder. 

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The first night in the mines was barely tolerable. While it appeared that there were no creatures waiting to devour them deep within the caverns and tunnels of the mine, it didn’t improve the overall ambiance of the place. They had taken the tent and used it to create a sort of room in the main tunnel that lead to the entrance. Once Snow and Aurora had finished skinning the bear, they used the bear’s skin to cover the tent and further insulate the fake room. It made the tent smell like dead bear but it kept the wind and the cold out. Having established their rough little camp and feeling reasonably safe, the group simply passed out. The days of walking, the disappointment at the beanstalk and the bear had all taken their toll. 

In the morning, everyone rose feeling as though they had slept well the night before but still exhausted from their journey. The meager foodstuffs were divided and tasks for the day were handed out. Aurora was sent to go gather water and food in the forest, Snow agreed to go hunting, Phillip was assigned to patrol the area around the mine and Mulan and Emma were going to check on the state of the refining equipment. Their secondary task was to try and make a rough map of the mines. It was decided they would meet up again at midday and try to mine the diamonds in the afternoon. Aurora wasn’t sure how much dust they would need but Snow had seen small amounts do a great deal, so she didn’t think they would need all that much. 

With their various tasks assigned, Aurora headed out into the forest. They had found a small stream when they had been walking towards the mine the other day. Aurora took with her a small bucket that she had found in the mine, for water and a small bag to put food in. Desperately wanting to think about anything other than being pregnant and abandoned by her so-called husband, Aurora didn’t even notice that she was being followed. Approaching the creek Aurora bent over and dragged the bucket through the water. Pulling it out, she stumbled a bit, and had to shift her footing to keep from falling in. 

“Here princess, let me help.” Phillip hurried over to Aurora to try and steady her. 

“You don’t have to call me princess, you know. You can just call me Aurora.” Aurora smiled at Phillip as the young man helped her up the embankment. 

“But you are a princess, you should be called such.” Phillip replied nervously setting the bucket down.

“A princess of a kingdom long gone. Technically, I am a queen but I don’t wish to be called queen either.” Smiling, Aurora bent down and picked up the bucket again. Hefting it she started to walk back to the mine with Phillip trailing after her.

“Forgive me princess -- Aurora,” Phillip quickly corrected himself as he followed. “You see, we haven’t had much chance to talk you and I, and I feel we must speak.”

“Why is that?” Aurora looked back at the young prince confused. She had seen the longing looks he shared with Mulan. Perhaps he wished to speak to her about that. Ask for advice from someone he perceived to be easy to talk to. 

“When you were first cursed your father and mother came to my great-grandparents, the then king and queen, and asked them for a boon.” Phillip cleared his throat nervously unsure of how to approach the subject. He had tried rehearsing this speech in his head but it never sounded right. “A boon to help save you from the terrible curse you had been put under.”

“And?” Aurora was pretty sure she knew where this was going and she didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“They asked for a member of my family to break the curse and wed you.” Phillip coughed into his hand not able to meet Aurora’s eyes. At the time his family had two sons but his great-grandparents already had marriage plans for them and so had decided to wait.

“Oh Phillip,” Shaking her head Aurora sat down the bucket. Reaching out a hand she patted the prince gently on the arm. “You don’t need to worry about such things.”

“But I do, we haven’t had a chance to speak but I was seeking you when Mulan and I met the others. I am the youngest, with four older brothers, and they distinguished themselves long ago. I have nothing. Finally rescuing the sleeping princess was to be my grand accomplishment. I cannot yet abandon my quest.” Phillip gazed at Aurora with hopeful eyes.

“I do not need to be rescued Phillip, I never did. Find yourself a new quest.” Aurora shook her head sadly and turned to pick up the bucket.

“Marry me,” Phillip blurted out the words.

Dropping the bucket, Aurora stared at Phillip in shock and horror. Just past Phillip’s shoulder, she saw Mulan standing stock-still, looking equally aghast. “I am already married Phillip and my curse is broken and my kingdom has long ago fallen into dust. Whatever quest you were on, abandon it. I am not your princess.” 

“Please, consider my suit, and your marriage,” Phillip cleared his throat again. “Is that even a binding one? You yourself said it was under uncomfortable circumstance. Do the records even exist and how do you know you had a genuine chaplain and not someone playing one for the pirate’s purpose? I will help you rebuild your kingdom. The Sands was once a glittering jewel and it deserves to be so again.” 

“A glittering jewel it may have been but it had a rotten core.” Bending down Aurora picked up the bucket again. It had some dirt on the side that she nervously brushed off. “I have to get more water. I think you should go back to camp on your own.” 

Lifting the bucket Aurora brushed past Phillip and headed down towards the creek.

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Aurora smiled as she stared out the windows of the cabin at the setting sun. Peter Pan had returned from his journey and brought summer with him. Stretching her fingers out she tried to grab the few remaining rays of warm daylight and hold them close. She loved summers in Neverland. They were the most beautiful season imaginable. At first when Pan would leave summer would turn to fall and then winter but when he returned spring would come first followed by summer. Summer was all the vitality of youth infused into the very environment. In Neverland the summers were everything that was beautiful about being young and alive.

Smiling Aurora let herself drop back into the room and let out a sigh of disappointment as the sun finally slipped below the horizon. The moon would come soon enough to bathe the world in mysterious white light but Aurora loved the sun. Pushing herself up from the window, Aurora went over to her small chest to change for the night. As her fingers went to her buttons she heard the door open. Turning Aurora looked at Hook over her shoulder. He held up his hands, a coy grin sliding across his face. 

“I thought we were past this,” Aurora stopped unbuttoning her shirt but she didn’t move her fingers away from the little pearl buttons.

“I’m sorry, was I supposed to get past watching you take off your clothes? Because I have really only seen you bare once before and I was never close enough to get a proper look.” Slowly Hook lowered himself down into a nearby chair and bit down on his lower lip. He waved a hand at her, “So please, continue.” 

“I’m not doing this in front of you,” Biting down on her lower lip Aurora tried to keep the blush off her cheeks. 

“What if I were to take off my shirt in front of you?” Hook smirked at her and stood up his hand going to his shirt. “After all, you didn’t take your chance to look like I did.” 

Gasping Aurora thought to avert her eyes but she was transfixed as the man slowly began to strip off his jacket. One side of her told her should stop looking but the other side screamed that he was her husband and she had every right to look. She chose to agree with the side that wanted her to look. In slow motion Hook stripped off his vest, it was his red one, her favorite, and dropped it casually over the back of his chair. Next came his shirt, using his hook and fingers he deftly undid the ties before sliding it off over his head. Aurora turned tomato red as she stared at him. Beautiful shouldn’t really apply to men but he was, even with all his imperfections. Years of labor had given him firm muscles and tiny scars danced across his body. Aurora brought up a hand instinctively to touch one right where his heart would be but at the last second pulled away.

Hook’s arm shot out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her hand in slowly and laid it over the scar. “A crocodile gave me this scar when he tried to tear out my heart,” Hook said softly. 

Aurora stared at the scar for a moment, her fingers slowly running over it. “What happened to the crocodile?” Turning her eyes she stared up at him in astonishment.

“He escaped but I vowed revenge.” Hook leaned down slowly drawing in a breath. Bringing his left arm up, being mindful of his hook, he pulled Aurora in close and pressed a slow kiss to her mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to ~thatfilmgirl and ~snakesandadders on tumblr for all their help on this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Aurora slowly ran her fingertips over the scar on Hook’s chest. The strange scar fascinated her. It was a thin, pinkish valley in the middle of the man’s chest surrounded by a light dusting of chest hair. Two ridges rose up from his otherwise smooth skin with the barest hint of a line running between them. It almost looked like someone had cut open his chest and pulled the skin up as they did it. The effect of it all was quite strange. Placing her fingers along the thin line in the middle, it suddenly occurred to Aurora how literal Hook was being, when he told her that someone had tried to tear out his heart. The space between the two ridges of the scar was just big enough that a hand could fit between it. Very slowly Aurora rose up and straddled Hook’s hips. Carefully she placed her hand in the gap between the scars and tried to imagine shoving her hand into someone’s chest or what it would feel like to have someone’s hand in your chest. 

The very thought made her insides turn cold and something deep within her began to shake. Lost in her thoughts, Aurora didn’t notice the subtle shift in Hook’s breathing or the slight shift in his body. His eyes suddenly snapping open startled Aurora and made the girl jump and clutch at her own heart. Aurora had a terrible vision flash across her eyes of a hand or possibly even a hook, tearing out her own heart. That terrible thought quickly vanished as soon Aurora realized she wasn’t actually wearing any clothing. Gasping Aurora and wrapped her arms around her chest, a blush starting in her cheeks and slowly working its way down past her collarbone. Underneath her, Hook just stared up at her with bleary and slightly confused eyes. He brought up a hand and idly scratched at his scar. 

“What are you…” Hook trailed off and then just stared at her for a moment as though he had totally forgotten whatever it was he had intended to say.

For Hook, this was a rather confusing moment. He knew why Aurora was naked and in his bed but he didn’t know why she was on top of him. Nor did he completely understand why she seemed embarrassed by her current position. Perhaps it was a failing on his part. He had, after all, only introduced her to the basics of what could happen between a man and a woman. Her current position was something more in the intermediate area. Well, if she wanted to give it a try then he was game. Reaching out his hand, Hook made to grab for the girl. 

Shaking her head, Aurora quickly climbed off of Hook and began to scramble around looking for something to cover herself. Finding her discarded shift from the night before, she hurriedly pulled it over her head. Turning back around, she found Hook studying her with hazy eyes. For a moment, Aurora felt deeply embarrassed and then, the man just held out his hand to her. Gingerly Aurora took the proffered hand and climbed back into the bed. Hook pulled her against his chest, letting his stump rest against her side and pressed his face into her hair. He drew in a deep breath as though he was memorizing her scent. After only a few moments, Hook was back asleep.

Aurora found it odd he was sleeping so soundly. While Aurora herself was not a great sleeper, Hook was hardly what you would call a heavy sleeper. Yet, here was the man lying behind her, completely relaxed. Sighing Aurora curled against Hook’s side more tightly and tried to go back to sleep. It wasn’t a successful endeavor. Every time she closed her eyes the sight of the scar and the thought of a hand reaching into her chest, haunted her. Shivering Aurora resigned herself to not sleeping that night. Rolling over she pressed her back against Hook’s side. Opening her eyes, she lay there with her head upon a pillow, staring out the window of the cabin and watching the gentle bobbing of the waves, just barely illuminated by the moonlight. Behind her, Hook slumbered on. 

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Aurora lay on the cold, damp floor of the mine, studying the wrinkles in the tent above her. It had been two days and Aurora swore the bear stench was getting worse. Due to the dampness in the mines, the bear smell had started to take on the same musty quality and it was pervasive. It crawled its way into your nostrils and refused to leave. Unable to sleep, and not yet assigned to watch duty, Aurora was left with nothing to do but stare at the tent and contemplate the intricacies of the smell. Feeling frustrated and unable to find any sort of comfort, Aurora pushed herself up, and very carefully left the tent. As she let the tent flap fall gently back, she could hear the others shifting inside but still asleep. 

Rubbing her arms to try to ward off the chill, Aurora headed down towards the mining equipment. She found something oddly soothing about sitting amongst the complicated machinery. Being deep in the mines when the spell had hit, the refining machinery had been relatively protected from the effects of the curse. It had a few odd quirks but it still ran relatively well. They had tested out the few bits of rock they had been able to mine on it and it had gotten the job done. In the end, that was all that really mattered. Sighing heavily, Aurora leaned her head back against the machine, as she sank to the ground. Laying her hand over her stomach, she tapped her fingers and contemplated what she would do when all of this was done. 

Lost in her thoughts Aurora didn’t really notice it at first. Then it came at her, a funny little feeling, almost like a tickling at the back of her throat or the raising of the hairs on the back of her neck. It was just a gentle ruffling of her hair followed by the barest touch of a soft wind. Turning her head, Aurora stared at a tunnel that was just past the machinery. It led down towards one of the deeper parts of the mine. Rising slowly Aurora crept towards the tunnel. Unconsciously she rested one hand on the wall but she immediately pulled it back. The walls of the mine were like ice and when she looked down at her hand she saw her fingers had taken on a slightly pinkish quality. Hissing softly, Aurora shoved her hand up under her arm and rubbed it furiously against her side to try and warm it. Then she felt it again, that same gentle ruffling of her hair. 

Steadily the gentle ruffling grew into a mighty wind and Aurora was nearly blown backwards. Bringing up her arms she stumbled, tripping over her own feet, as a dark, howling wind rose up from the depths of the mine. Catching her foot on a loose rock Aurora fell back and hit a hard object, the sound of chainmail clinking by her ear. There came one last great burst of wind, that pushed Aurora and who ever it was behind her back nearly a foot. Then it vanished, just as quickly as it had come, a brief, mournful noise heralding its departure. Lifting her head, her hair now askew, Aurora stared up through her bangs into the shocked face of Phillip. He was staring down the tunnel as though he couldn’t believe what had just happened. The two of them stood there, unmoving, for a few moments as they tried to collect themselves. Phillip, recovering his senses, moved to help Aurora straighten herself up. 

“Are you alright?” He asked, his voice laced with a worried tone. 

Righting herself, Aurora ran her fingers through her hair and tugged at her clothing in a nervous fashion. Feeling she had tidied herself a bit, Aurora nodded slowly, not sure she trusted her voice to answer just yet. 

Clearing her throat, Aurora said softly, “Yes, I’m fine.” 

Pausing she bit down on lower lip and stared back down the dark tunnel. Swallowing she tried to make sense in her head of what had just happened but she couldn’t reconcile it. Caves just didn’t suddenly start to howl.

Slowly Aurora pointed a finger at the tunnel. “I’m not an expert in mines but I’m pretty sure that they’re not supposed to do that.” 

Phillip nodded slowly, one of his hand’s moving down to hold Aurora’s elbow but she shook him off without even looking. Withdrawing his hand Phillip folded it in front of his body with his other hand, a slightly sheepish expression crossing his face. 

“No, I don’t think so either. Perhaps we should tell the others?” Phillip looked at Aurora expectantly. He looked like a puppy waiting for a kind word.

Aurora’s eyes softened and she gave him the smallest of smiles. Sometimes Phillip just looked so terribly young that it made her heart ache. Nodding in agreement, Aurora gave the tunnel one last confused look and let Phillip lead her back to the tent. 

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The group took the news of the strange wind in stride. They all accepted that the curse had left certain scars on the land and that this must simply be another such injury to the natural order. When after a few hours, nothing else had happened, they all simply wrote it off as an oddity caused by the magically transformed land. Eager to spend less time in the mines, the group broke up into their various duties, and went about what could best be consider their regular day. 

They were deep in the mines when they first heard it. 

Having only found the one pick ax the group had been forced to take shifts mining the diamonds. Generally someone would stand watch, usually Mulan, Snow or Phillip, since they had weapons while Emma and Aurora would mine. Neither Emma nor Aurora really had much practice with mining, so it proved to be a lengthy and often awkward endeavor. At that particular moment, Emma, Aurora, Snow and Mulan were all taking a break when they heard the sound. It was like a deep howling noise, not unlike the one Aurora had heard earlier that morning, but it was coming from closer to the mine entrance. Almost as one person their heads snapped around to try and locate the source of the noise. While they hadn’t given much credence to the idea of a single instance of strange mine winds being dangerous, a second occurrence put them all on edge.

Rising slowly from the floor, the girls followed the sound. They found Phillip huddled just inside the mine entrance. His head snapped around to stare at them, his hand going to grasp at his sword, fear evident in his eyes. Snow held out a comforting, maternal hand and Phillip relaxed just a bit, his hand lowering away from his sword. The terrible sound was coming from just outside the entrance but there was nothing there to explain it. The wind kept blowing past, stirring up leaves and sticks, but this noise was a sound that should ever be associated with the wind. It sounded more like the great, haunting howl of a horribly injured creature. As far as sounds went, it had more in common with the terrible death rattle of an entire heard of cattle than a strong breeze. 

Reaching out a hand Snow yanked Phillip back from the entrance. Her instinct to protect the young prince from whatever was making the noise outside. Huddling together the group watched as the wind continued to ravage the area in front of the mine. Then, at the edge of the clearing, they saw a pair of glowing eyes. Stepping out from the underbrush was a wolf. Just as twisted and sick looking as the bear had been. As the wolf approached the wind seemed to separate, creating a tunnel or a path, for it to walk through. 

Calmly, and barely batting an eyelash, Snow swung her bow around. Raising it up she fired a quick arrow, striking the wolf in the throat. The beast whimpered but continued to come forward. Outside the sound only rose in volume. Pulling out another arrow Snow fired as the beast began to charge. The arrow struck the wolf in the throat but the creature didn’t even seem to feel it. It took a third arrow to finally bring it down. The group released a collective breath as the wind began to die down. 

They waited until it had passed completely before daring to move a muscle. Stepping out into the clearing they slowly looked around for any further dangers, before turning their attention to the wolf. It lay on the ground in a pool of its own blood, its fur matted and its body misshapen. Snow bent down and began to retrieve her arrows, her face wrinkling in distaste at the task.

Emma’s nose wrinkled as a smell hit her nose. She brought up a hand to cover her nose as she gagged a bit. “What is that smell?” 

“The wolf,” Snow recoiled a bit from the smell and stood, wiping off her arrows on a rag.

“Why is it like that? Its worse than the bear.” Emma stared down at the wolf. She had seen a wolf up close once, Graham’s wolf, but this wolf was nothing like that.

Where Graham’s wolf had been majestic and beautiful, this thing was twisted and disturbing. It had the same terrible boils and distortions as the bear. There seemed to be a strange looking black ooze leaking from its eyes and it had missing bits of fur, they looked as though the wolf had torn them out in frenzied desperation. 

“It must be the curse,” Aurora said the words softly. She was half turned from the wolf, to try to get away from the smell. “It twisted the land and it must have twisted the animals as well.”

“What about that crazy wind? Is that a normal thing?” Emma looked at the others for some sort of clarification. They all shook their heads.

“It probably is something left over from the curse as well. Some remnant or something.” Snow shook her head, not sure what was causing it but the repeated occurrences had her worried. For a moment Snow glanced at the three others in their group who would be remaining in the Enchanted Forest. She feared for them. 

While no one said anything they were all thinking the same thing, this was just the start. Whatever the curse had done, it had left a lasting effect. No one wanted to admit to it but they all knew that something worse had to be brewing in the black magic poisoned earth of the Enchanted Forest. 

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“This is not what I expected,” Hook leaned casually against a chimney atop one of Storybrooke’s roof. He had his arm resting on the rough brickwork that appeared to be mostly decorative. 

“What were you expecting?” Cora looked over at Hook with a raised eyebrow. 

They had been in Storybrooke for a very brief time and the pirate was already starting to grate on her nerves. While the man had his uses, Cora found herself wondering if they worth the trouble of having to endure his company. 

“Something more extravagant. This place seems plain, dirty, I would have thought it would be more, quaint. Maybe even dare I say it, picturesque,” Hook says the last word almost like a curse. 

When he had imagined a town in another world created by magic, he had thought the place would look touched by said magic. Instead, it just looked as though no one had bothered to clean the place in twenty-eight years. It was tidy but it lacked sparkle. 

“Does it really matter what it looks like?” Cora gave Hook a slightly bored look. She found herself wondering if he had some sort of spectacular, unseen quality because she couldn’t imagine what other women would find attractive about him beyond the physical. 

“Not particularly.” Sighing Hook tapped his good hand idly against the chimney. It was a nervous gesture but he was nervous now. After nearly three hundred years he was finally starting to get close to his goal. The feeling rushing through him was a confusing one and he didn’t want to have to worry about slowing down to figure it all out. He just wanted to kill the little imp and be done with it. 

“He’ll have the knife with him?” Hook asked the question of Cora more to pass than the time than to actually confirm what he knew to be true. 

“Undoubtedly. While it is foolish to keep such a weapon close by, he won’t want it loose either. He’ll have it nearby and well guarded.” Even though Cora was speaking with Hook her attention was focused on a distant home. She really wished that Hook would just be silent so she could put all her attention on studying Regina’s home and Regina. 

“Are the rumors true?” Hook began to tap his fingers just a bit faster. The longer he stood on the roof the more nervous he felt. Some nasty little part of him kept reminding him that part of why he felt so strange was that he had come alone. Well, technically not alone because of Cora, but he had left his true companion behind. 

“What rumors? You will have to be more specific.” Cora let out a bored little sigh. Hook was growing rapidly more tiresome and she found herself musing that she might be able to sew his lips magically shut. He didn’t need to talk to kill Rumpelstiltskin after all. 

“They say that if you kill the Dark One you take his power.” Hook’s eyes focused on Cora, practically burning a hole into her. 

“Yes, that is true. Why? Not interested in his power?” Cora let out a snort that suggested she found that hard to believe. If there was one thing Cora knew for certain about the world, it was that everyone always wanted to be more powerful. 

“I’ve never needed magic to feel powerful.” 

Idly Hook began to scratch at his chin with his hook. The issue of magic and the dagger presented a small problem but he was sure it was one he could overcome. Perhaps he could even get the man to kill himself, provided he had the right leverage.

For a moment Hook’s mind drifted to Aurora, as much as he tried to fight against it. While he deeply regretted having to leave her, he felt it had been the right decision. She would be safe there, in the forest, until he could return. More importantly she would be beyond the reach of the crocodile. His eyes briefly danced down to glance at the spot on his sleeve, underneath which his tattoo rested. He had learned long ago it was best to keep the things closest to your heart the farthest away when dealing with Rumpelstiltskin. His fingers still idly tapping away, Hook began to walk around the edge of the chimney. He came to rest on its far side and stared down at the town below. Just a short distance away was Gold’s shop. Cora had informed him that that was the name Rumpelstiltskin went by in this world. Gold, it seemed fitting.

Very carefully Hook stepped along the top edge of the roof and pulled out his periscope. Using the tip of his hook, he pulled out the spyglass and focused it on the shop below. There wasn’t much activity but it was obvious someone was inside. Settling himself down Hook prepared to spend some time studying his enemy. Behind him he could hear Cora moving about, clearly preparing to do the same. He wasn’t sure if he would call Regina, Cora’s enemy, but it certainly didn’t seem like your normal relationship between a parent and child. Not that Hook had much experience with such things but he liked to imagine that most relationships of that nature were far warmer than the one Regina and Cora had. 

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There were hands coming for her. They were distorted, stretched out and scarred but they reached for her with unerring dedication. She tried to run but everywhere she turned the hands came up to grab at her. When she tried to scream nothing came out. Her own hands came up to claw at her throat, to try to wrest some sort of sound from its depths but none came. For her pains, her own nails scratched at her skin and she could feel the raised welts begin to bleed. Stumbling she fell to the ground, her knees cracking heavily on the unfamiliar ground. Trying to rise, she felt the hands go for her stomach. The long fingers and their sharp nails drove into her belly. Blood came pouring out of her. It didn’t come through the punctures in her stomach but instead it flowed out like a great tide from between her legs. It soaked her skin and turned the white shift she had been wearing into a great mass of damp red fabric. 

Whimpering she felt the little life that had been growing in her body flicker and die. The sound came easily then. Great heaving sobs welling up out of her throat and threatening to choke her. Yet still the blood didn’t stop and she began to scream. The terrible screams echoed in the empty cavern as her body began to shake. Around her legs, the blood began to shift and coalesce into a dark shape that rose up. It spoke in a hauntingly familiar voice and said, “You didn’t actually think I was going to let you have the child, did you?” 

Then the figure reached for her but instead of hands they had hooks. The dark, shifting figure plunged one of the hooks into her heart and the other into her throat. She was barely able to get out a garbled noise before her own blood choked her.

Aurora shot awake gasping and panting. Her hands groped desperately at her throat and then, as though remembering something, she felt down by her thighs. Her pants were blessedly dry. Whimpering Aurora pulled her legs up and pressed her face into her knees. She tried to hold back the tears but a few small drops managed to slip out. It had been horrible and it had felt so real. It had been years since she had a dream quite that vivid. A witch in Neverland had told her vivid dreams were a side effect of the sleeping curse but none of her previous dreams had ever felt like that. She felt this unconscious need to grope at her belly and make sure there weren’t puncture marks there. Sobbing softly Aurora rubbed her cheek against her knee and tried to control her racing heart. 

The night before she had, had a similar dream. It had started out simple enough. She had been standing on a long, white sand beach by a small house built out of what looked like the remains of a ship. In the distance she could hear a soft, ringing laugh, not unlike a child’s. When she had turned to look she could see a tiny figure dancing and playing on the sand. Instinctively she had wanted to go to the child but as she had approached the child, fire and cannonballs began to rain down on the beach. The hut was destroyed, as was most of the tree line and then a great wave had come up and drown the both of them. Yet, even as Aurora struggled towards the surface of the water, she had seen that same dark and slightly familiar figure striding across the water and looking quite pleased with itself. 

She had awoken from that dream feeling like she had drowned. For minutes after she had gasped for breath and felt like she could still feel the water threatening to fill her lungs. It had been a deeply unsettling experience. The most frightening thing about it was that she knew she wasn’t alone. Emma was dreaming of losing her son, Snow had nightmares about losing her memory, Phillip claimed his dreams were of letting his father down but he looked uncomfortable as though he was only telling a half truth when he said that and Mulan refused to speak of her dreams. However, every time Mulan was questioned her eyes would nervously dance over to Phillip and everyone knew what it was that Mulan dreamed of. 

Rubbing a hand over her face Aurora tried to calm down her racing heart but nothing was working. Pushing herself to her feet, Aurora stumbled out of the tent and headed out into the woods. The mines were starting to feel claustrophobic and the strange air that filled them, was threatening to choke her. Making her way carefully through the woods, Aurora found her way to the creek. Bending down she scooped up some of the cool water and splashed it on her face. Scooping up some more, she brought it around and rubbed it on the back of her neck. A cracking sound, not particularly loud but like cannon fire in the deadly silent wood, made her jump and spin around. Phillip was standing just a few feet away looking slightly embarrassed. He lifted his foot carefully off a branch. 

“Princess,” Phillip stopped himself and winced, remembering what Aurora had said to him about her title. “Aurora, are you alright? I heard you cry out in your sleep and then you left.” 

Sighing Aurora rose slowly and nodded her head. She felt exhausted and she wasn’t sure she could handle Phillip right now. He was too young, too sweet, and far too sincere for her. There was no guile with Phillip and it made her hate angry when she found herself growing frustrated with his wide eyed innocence. 

“I’m fine Phillip, I just needed some air.” Aurora nervously rubbed her hands against her pants to dry them off. 

“You shouldn’t go out alone, not with all the strangeness going on,” Phillip stepped forward carefully. Aurora had a look about her that reminded him of a frightened deer and he approached her carefully. 

“I know but I couldn’t stay in the mine a moment longer,” Aurora folded a hand over her stomach and glanced up as Phillip stepped closer. Immediately she drew her hand away from her stomach. She still didn’t want anyone other than Snow knowing and Aurora was forever worried about giving herself away. 

“Of course, but I was worried about you.” Phillip nervously pulled at his tunic. He had taken off his chainmail. It was uncomfortable to sleep in. As Phillip nervously searched for something to say he realized he had left his sword back in the cave and flushed in embarrassment at his own foolishness. 

There was a long pause where neither one of them said anything. Aurora glanced around, trying to think of something to say in response to Phillip’s kind words. The moon was barely a sliver in the sky and cast odd shadows in the dark of the forest. Even with all the stars shining in the sky, it still felt like their eyes were cloaked in darkness. A strange light shone in Phillip’s eyes and for a moment he looked older than his years and infinitely sad. Not even realizing it Aurora stretched out a hand and brought it up to Phillip’s cheek. She idly rubbed her thumb across her cheek and watched as he leaned into it. His face seemed to shift and for a moment he looked frighteningly young.

“You’re very sweet Phillip.” Aurora smiled sadly at the prince. He was very sweet and it broke her heart. 

“Aurora, I,” Phillip tried and failed to start the sentence multiple times. Swallowing he bit down on his lip as he struggled to find the right words. Eventually he just started to lean forward but Aurora brought up one small hand and halted his movement.

“Phillip,” Aurora said his name carefully. “You are very young.” 

“I am not so young,” Phillip brought up his hand and folded it over Aurora’s. “I know that you need someone who would take care of you and not abandon you.” 

“Yes, you are.” Aurora paused and curled her fingers ever so slightly. “I don’t need someone to take care of me. You are unbelievably sweet in your offers but you must stop.” Aurora pressed her hand just slightly closer to Phillip’s chest, it was meant to be a gesture of emphasis but it only seemed to serve as encouragement. 

“I am more than sweet,” Phillip brought his hand up and curled it over Aurora’s hand on his chest. “I would be useful. I would give you everything you deserve. I know what you’ll say, that I’m foolish and I don’t know you, but I do. I have watched you these past few days. You are kind and honest and resourceful. When you are presented with a challenge or something deeply upsetting you do not cower, you face it. I would be honored to call you my wife.” 

“Oh Phillip,” Aurora said in that same sad voice. It broke her heart to hear Phillip say those words. Once, long ago, she had longed to hear those words from another man’s mouth but he had never offered them. After a time, she had just stopped hoping. 

“Please Aurora, consider me seriously. I know I wasn’t particularly articulate the other day but I am serious. I would rebuild your kingdom for you.” Phillip’s grip tightened on Aurora’s hands. 

“No Phillip,” Aurora went to object further but suddenly Phillip’s lips were against hers. 

In the distance a solitary figure watched the two embrace for just a moment before disappearing into the dark. Had they hesitated just a moment longer they would have seen Aurora shove the young prince away and run off towards the mines. 

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Stupid little bitch, the angry words bounced around in Hook’s head as he brought up a his good hand to rub at his jaw. He had tried approaching Belle in the hope the girl might be able to tell him more about her magically enhanced lover. The doe like girl, however, had remembered him and in a remarkable show of spunk, struck him across the jaw before he had even finished his first sentence. Infuriated Hook had struck back. Normally he didn’t make a habit of striking women but he certainly wasn’t going to let some skinny, slip of a girl, punch him and get away with it. Working his hand over his jaw, Hook still did enjoy a moment of glee in remembrance for the look on her face when he nastily told her about Milah. Undoubtedly she would go running to her precious Rumpelstiltskin and he would spin a tale for her, but he had planted some doubt there and doubt was a powerful emotion.

Turning down a side street, Hook did his best to keep out of sight of the locals. He had caught sight of a few members of his former crew and even a few other familiar faces, some of which he wished he didn’t know. To avoid any uncomfortable questions or reunions, he stayed out of sight. Also, the more people saw him, the faster it would have gotten back to Rumpelstiltskin about his arrival. He had wanted to save that little gem for the right moment. Hopefully, the girl would find just the right moment. 

As he approached the spot where Cora had told him to wait, he could hear a couple of low voices hurriedly conversing. One was obviously Cora’s but he didn’t quite recognize the other. Leaning closer Hook rested his cheek against the rough brick and listened in. He didn’t consider it spying, it lacked any real stealth, it was merely a means of gathering information. Cora had her little secrets and Hook just felt she should share them with him. 

“Does he know?” The voice almost sounded like it was snickering when it spoke. It had a nasty, nasally quality to it. 

“It doesn’t matter what he knows.” Cora responded with a bored sounding tone. If one ever wanted to perfect the bored sounding tone, they should seek out Cora, she had long ago mastered the art. 

“Yes, but does he know you can’t make another portal?” The other voice sounded almost gleeful at this little tidbit. 

Hook’s eyes slowly widened. A rage filled his chest and threatened to bubble out of his throat. It the rage of a thousand burning suns and his good hand clutched at his vest. Pushing back Hook stumbled a short distance away. That worthless cunt, she had betrayed him. She was going to leave him stranded here, use him. Who did she think she was to use Captain Hook in such a manner? Granted, Hook had never really trusted Cora but he thought they had a mutually beneficial relationship. It seemed that Cora just wanted him here for some reason or maybe she just wanted to use him to get here. It was hard to say what but Hook’s mind was a whirl of possibilities. 

Drawing a breath Hook tried to contain his temper. Now was not the time to get angry. Now was the time to make plans for revenge. He needed to save his anger. Biting on his lower lip Hook considered his various possible options. Then his mind settled on a solution. Turning Hook hurried off in the direction of the more domestic area of Storybrooke.

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Aurora was standing on one of Neverland’s numerous beaches. She curled her toes in the sand and spread her arms outwards. The sun felt so good on her skin. Twirling a flower between her fingers she slowly walked along the length of the beach. The sand was a strange, rough texture between her toes but she enjoyed it. When her feet would get too warm she would skip forward into the water to clean and cool them off. The water would rush up and splash at her ankles, hitting her knees and dampening the lightweight dress she was wearing.

After nearly five years in Neverland she still didn’t find many occasions to wear dresses. She had tried at first, held out against the call of breeches and other forms of pants but in the end, they were just more practical. Aurora enjoyed these days where she could feel like a princess the best. These were the days where she didn’t have to worry about pirates or Lost Boys, she could think about things like flowers and spend time quietly reading poetry. Bringing the flower up to her nose, she drew a slow breath and breathed in the sweet scent. Taking the flower she idly tucked it into her hair and continued down the beach. Stretching her arms up above her head, Aurora closed her eyes against the bright shine of the sun. 

Her peace was broken by the heavy, damp sound of boots on sand. Turning around Aurora smiled as Hook strolled, far less gracefully than he normally did, along the sand. Actually, it would be more accurate to say he was stomping along the beach. Hook normally strolled, the man had practically mastered the fine art of the cat like walk but he had never managed to make it work on the beach. Whenever he was on the beach he seemed to lose all his natural grace. It was not unlike trying to watch a shark walk on land. Trying not to laugh Aurora bit down on her bottom lip.

Hook seemed to pause halfway towards her and just stared at her for a moment before shedding his jacket. In a rare show of nonchalance he tossed it behind and a stout figure with a red wobbling hat awkwardly caught it. Walking towards Aurora he quickly unbuttoned his vest. It was quite a thing to watch the man slowly relax. As he shed layers of clothing, it was like watching him shed layers of stress. Smiling Aurora turned more fully towards him, idly swinging her skirt in her hands. Hook came to a stop just a few feet from her. He gave her a slow look over and smiled gently. Grinning Aurora looked away for a moment.

Laughing softly Hook walked forward and wrapped his arms slowly around her waist. She let him pull her towards him, her feet dancing along the sand to reach him. Leaning against Hook, Aurora let her cheek rest against the soft fabric of his shirt. Hook rubbed his good hand slowly over her lower back. For a moment they just stood there before Hook gently leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Sighing Hook curled his fingers into the fabric of Aurora’s dress. 

“Sadly, we cannot stay here. Come along my darling girl,” Hook slung an arm around Aurora’s shoulder and began to lead her down the beach. 

Aurora stared up at Hook in confusion. It seemed odd that Hook would take the trouble to come out here and find her, only to drag her away. She had thought for a moment that they were going to enjoy some time to themselves. Finding that was not the case, Aurora just sighed and clung to Hook. 

The pirate waved his hook at the lurking figure with a red bobble hat standing near the tree line. Smee immediately raced forward with his captain’s jacket. Together they wandered down the beach back towards the ship with Smee hurrying along behind them.

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Aurora had only traveled between worlds once before and that was when she had come to Neverland. Trips between worlds were limited, due to a number of concerns, and it was always a disconcerting means of travel. The sensation of flying was one that had never sat quite right with Aurora and she was still unable to get over her fear of it. For the entirety of the trip through the void between worlds, Aurora sat huddled in the cabin. It was just too terrifying to even consider witnessing what was going on outside. When the ship finally began to land Aurora wanted to throw up. It felt like the world was dropping out from underneath her. After it was all finally done with Aurora just buried her face underneath a pillow and try not to think about what had just happened.

Journeying between the worlds involved first, making the ship fly. Having been imbued with fairy dust years earlier, this was not a difficult task. The right turn of the wheel and the Jolly Roger would lift up into the air. Peter Pan’s frequent sojourns into other worlds, had created holes in the fabric of Neverland’s sky. There were certain spots that were familiar to Hook and his crew, that they kept well marked on maps, and all they had to do was point the ship at them. When the fairy dust encrusted ship would meet the tear, it would require a little prodding, but eventually it would slip through into the narrow band that existed between worlds. Then they would be traveling through a swirling vortex of stars and sky, until they finally emerged on the other side. Hook always tried to land the ship shortly afterwards to avoid drawing attention to it. 

Hook came in shortly after the ship was properly moored and pried the pillow of her head. “Come on girly, we have somewhere we need to be.” 

Aurora looked up at Hook raising an eyebrow. “What?” She was baffled but his unusual behavior. Aurora thought that by now she would be used to his various moods but this was a new one. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll see.” Hook held out his hand to Aurora in a gesture meant to comfort and encourage her. 

Sighing Aurora placed her hand carefully in Hook’s and let him help her to her feet. When she got out on the deck she saw that they weren’t anywhere near a town or a port. There wasn’t even a dock, just a large channel that opened into a river. There was something familiar about the river but Aurora couldn’t quite place it. Following Hook, Aurora let him lead her across the deck and over to the railing. There was a rope ladder waiting there. Aurora gave Hook a look that suggested she wasn’t completely comfortable with what was going on but he just waved a hand at the ladder. Sighing Aurora swung a leg over the railing.

Aurora and Hook carefully climbed down the swaying rope ladder and into a long boat. Mr. Smee was waiting there and he looked deeply uncomfortable. Having been given the job of rowing, Smee used his oar to push off the side of the boat, and quickly began to paddle them down the river. The trio rowed their way down the river and towards some unknown destination. Aurora leaned against Hook for the entire trip, her stomach still objecting to the rough treatment of the flying ship. As they moved down the river the place began to look steadily more and more familiar. Certain shapes in the trees, flowers and bends in the river took on a strangely known quality to Aurora. 

Sitting up Aurora turned head towards Hook but the man just smiled at her. Eventually Smee brought their little vessel to a stop at a small dock. Aurora knew this dock, it was her family’s dock, she turned her astonished gaze to Hook but the man just casually climbed out of the rowboat, ignoring her. Turning back around Hook offered his hand to Aurora and she climbed out of the boat. It wasn’t the most graceful of climbs as her confusion kept her legs from agreeing with her brain in quite the right order. Smee just looked sheepish and tied up the boat to the dock. Hook led Aurora down the dock, leaving Smee sitting in the boat. The chubby man pulled out a book and immediately began to thumb through it. Aurora let Hook lead her down a familiar pathway that led up to the castle. As much as she wanted to fight the pull of Hook’s hand, shock had settled in and Aurora’s mind refused to cooperate. 

As they approached the castle, a deep pit began to form in her stomach. The pit moved up into her throat, threatening to choke her, when Aurora saw the state of the castle. It was horrible. Her memories of it were of a shining, glistening palace of opulence. This place looked as though time had given it the worst beating imaginable. Instinctively Aurora went to take a step back but Hook kept his grip firm on her hand. He pulled her slowly towards the palace. Aurora dragged her feet not wanting to actually set foot in the place in front of her. It was childish but it was the only thing she could do to fight against Hook’s relentless tug. Anger welled up inside of her. She was furious at Hook for bringing her here. She had never wanted to come back to this place. Hook just held onto her hand as she struggled against him.

“Why? Why did you do this?” Aurora’s voice rose, breaking slightly, as she struggled against Hook.

“You needed to see it.” Hook said simply.

The problem of Aurora and her past had been bothering Hook for some time now. She hadn’t been sleeping well for years and now that they were sharing such close quarters he needed her to sleep well. When she didn’t sleep well, he didn’t sleep well. So he had come up with a solution, partially because he wanted to look after her but mostly because he needed a night of uninterrupted sleep. He thought that maybe if Aurora actually confronted the reality of what had become of her kingdom she would finally start coming to terms with what had happened. 

Aurora just kept struggling in his grip, refusing to be moved. Finally Hook just let go of Aurora’s arm and watched her pull away, her wrist red and bound to bruise. Aurora yanked her arm back and kept rubbing her hand over her wrist. She stared at Hook with a horrified, hurt look in her eyes. 

“Why would you do this to me?” Aurora sobbed softly. Tears slid out of her eyes, unnoticed by Aurora, and sliding down her cheeks making damp little tracks. 

“You needed to see this.” Hook looked between Aurora’s broken eyes and the castle. 

“Why? What good could it do me? Do you want me to go inside and see the broken bodies of the people I once knew? I don’t need that nightmare. I have enough.” Aurora let out an angry sobbing noise. It was a broken sound. 

“You should not have any,” Hook said the words without even really realizing it. 

Aurora stared at him in confusion and slowly shook her head. It was such a strange thing for him to say. Their eyes locked and something passed between them in that moment. They didn’t need to say what they were thinking. The words lingered there in the air between them. Carefully Hook stepped forward and pressed a soft kiss to Aurora’s forehead. He pulled her close and held her tight while she sobbed into his chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and held onto him until all the sorrow had drained from her body. When she was done Hook carefully scooped Aurora up and carried her back to the tiny rowboat. Smee didn’t say a word as the captain stepped into the boat. Picking up the oars the first mate rowed back to the Jolly Roger. 

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Hook stepped up to the unfamiliar door. It was a fine looking house, white and glistening in the sunlight. He hadn’t known what to expect but he hadn’t thought the woman would be living in a place like this. It didn’t seem to go with her aesthetic. Though, arguably, it was the grandest house in the little town and that was certainly in keeping with what he knew about her. Glancing around to see if anyone was around he carefully rapped on the door of the house. When the door opened the eyes of the occupant immediately widened and sucked in an angry breath. 

“Hello your majesty, I think you and I should talk.” Hook grinned at Regina like a cat that had just caught the canary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, mistakes are all my own. This chapter may be edited again in the near future.


	7. Chapter 7

Never had Aurora imagined that her body could ache quite so badly. Small pains burst into life up and down her arms reminding her of how little physical labor she regularly performed. Slowly she lifted up her hands and winced when she tried to uncurl her fingers. Tiny cuts, splinters and burst blisters covered her palms and fingertips. Leaning forward she blew softly over her upturned palms. Beside her, Snow picked up the abandoned dwarf pick axe and began to attack the nearby rock with it. Over the course of the past day they had managed to break off a few small pieces of diamond but more was still needed. They didn’t know how much dust would actually be refined out of a single diamond fragment and they needed to be sure they had enough. Everyone was working all the time to try and mine the necessary diamonds. The recent strange occurrences had put everyone on edge and seemed to drive them on further. They had doubled the guard on patrol. Now two people watched the entrance to the mine while the other three mined. Each shift lasted for hours and the group was so tired that they barely found time to talk.

Bringing her hand up to her mouth, Aurora slowly sucked a splinter from the wounded skin. An angry hissing noise, not unlike the sort of sound a cat would make when trying to mate with a tea kettle, drew Aurora’s attention. Sitting a short distance away was Emma pouring water over her own bleeding hands. Aurora watched as the blonde awkwardly tried to clean her own wounds before shaking her hand. Standing up slowly, being careful not to use her hands to push herself up, Aurora walked over to Emma and sat down on the rocks beside her. Emma had moved on from dousing her hands with water to trying to awkwardly wrap some strips of fabric around her hands. It was almost painful to watch as Emma both tried to wrap her hand and avoid using her other hand too much. Unfamiliar with caring for wounds Emma had neglected to first slather her hands in the mixture that Snow and Mulan, who using their knowledge of natural plants, had created. 

Shaking her head Aurora picked up the small pot of abandoned cream and began to rub it over her own injured hands. When her hands had been softened Aurora began the careful process of removing the splinters. There weren’t many but each one stung like a tiny needle embedded into her skin. Wrapping her hands in cloth came as a small relief, the tension of the cloth helping to elevate the pain. 

Emma looked over as Aurora deftly wrapped her own hands.

“You’re pretty good at that,” Emma hadn’t spoken much to Aurora since the beanstalk. 

The blond still felt bitter about having lost her way to Storybrooke, it was a nagging, bitter feeling that made Emma want to lash out at the girl. Every time Emma would go to work up the courage to let loose a stream of vitriol a sense of guilt would wash over her. As much as she didn’t trust Aurora, the brunette had been abandoned as well. Even though Aurora was probably a hundred years old it still seemed that every time Emma looked at her all she could see was a frightened, fragile girl. With her emotions warring away inside of her it just seemed easier not to speak.

“I have had some practice. Pirates are not by nature a careful lot.” Aurora shook her head when she thought about the pirates. 

They had been a strange, rough bunch but she had been fond of them. The past night Aurora had lain awake wondering what had become of each of them. While the rational part of her mind told her that they were probably dead, she hoped that somehow they were in Storybrooke and happy. Even Aurora would have been hard pressed to find a good man amongst them but she still thought they had earned the right to some sort of happiness. 

“Yeah, pirates,” Emma shook her head. In her mind all she could see were distorted Disney cartoon images and Johnny Depp movies. Given that Hook seemed to lean more towards the Johnny Depp end of the spectrum it did raise a number of questions in her mind as to exactly what the other pirates were like. “Did they really spend all their time trying to kill a bunch of little boys?”

Aurora paused in tightening the wrap around her right hand. She bit down on her lower lip and slowly worked it between her teeth. After a moment she let out a small breath saying, “No. It was slightly more complicated than that.” 

“How could that ever be complicated?” Emma fidgeted with her own poorly wrapped hands. For just a moment she felt slightly ashamed at her own experience.

Finishing her own bindings Aurora reached over and grabbed ahold of Emma’s hands. She tugged gently on Emma’s wrists and at first Emma resisted the move. Then, ever so slowly, Emma let Aurora pull her hands into her lap. 

“They were not little boys in the way you would think of them as being little boys. Neverland is not a placed controlled by logic or reason. It is a place of magic and the rules concerning magic in such a place are very elaborate. The Lost Boys would arrive in Neverland as abandoned babies and children but for some inexplicable reason under the care of the fairies they could age. They would then reach an age of what I guess you could call, innocence,” Aurora paused then and tightened the wrap around Emma’s right hand. Her face wrinkled for a moment as she considered her next words carefully.

“But if something were to happen to disturb that innocence, like say witnessing what the mermaids would do under the full moon,” Aurora swallowed then at the terrible memory. After all these years it still haunted her dreams. “They would begin to age. Once they began to age they would have to leave Neverland. They didn’t always go peacefully and it created problems. Then there was the issue of Peter Pan.”

“Peter Pan is an issue?” Emma raised an eyebrow as Aurora started to wrap her other hand. In Emma’s mind Peter Pan was a goofy kid in tights who could fly. Aside from being slightly annoying, Emma didn’t know how anyone could see him as an issue. 

“Peter Pan isn’t so much an entity as a symbol, he was Neverland. When he would leave, winter would come, when he returned, spring and summer came with him.” Aurora said the words as though she was carefully selecting each one before she let it pass her lips. Her eyes remained downcast, focused on the task of seeing to Emma’s hand. “But they don’t always stay as Pan. Just like the Lost Boys they could lose their innocence and grow up. When they grow up, just like the Lost Boys, they’re supposed to leave and never come back.” 

Emma stared down at her hands as Aurora finished wrapping them tightly. “Come back? You mean return to Neverland?”

“Yes. They’re not supposed to return, if they do it makes things difficult.” Aurora bit down on her lower lip and let go of Emma’s hands. It was hard to explain these things when she only half understood them herself. 

For a moment the conversation seemed to pause and the only sound was the harsh clinking of Snow chipping away at the diamonds. As the two women sat there, staring at one another as though trying to read the other’s mind, the cadence of the sound seemed to change. 

“Difficult?” Emma broke the silence. She turned her head slightly to glance at Snow who had slowed her mining as she tried to listen in on the conversation.

“Magical places have magical rules. Break the rules and it disrupts the place.” Aurora rose quickly and turned away from Emma refusing to say anything more on the matter.

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“What happened?” 

Aurora watched in horror as the pirates carefully hoisted Hook back onto the ship. He was bathed in blood and his clothes hung from his body in tatters. Unable to stand on his own, Hook was supported on either side by members of the crew, while his head lolled uselessly to the side. Through the layers of muck, Aurora could see Hook’s eyes just barely open and glazed over with pain.

“Just ran into a little trouble m’lady, we’ll soon set him right.” Danvers, a man with a rather unique collection of scars on his face, tried his best to smile at Aurora. At the best of times, Danvers trying to smile wasn’t a particularly attractive sight but it turned deeply unsettling when he was trying to fake a smile.

Aurora attempted to return the smile but it turned into more of a grimace. Sliding along the deck she tried to move closer to Hook but the crew immediately blocked her path. While Aurora had been on the Jolly Roger for decades, the pirates still felt like there certain sights that they had to protect her from. In a strange way Aurora had become the Jolly Roger’s princess, she was their precious treasure, and they were always striving to keep her safe from harm. Normally, Aurora felt that their behavior was rather sweet and she didn’t mind the occasional bit of awkward coddling but in this moment it felt more like condescension. After everything she had done for them and with them, they still didn’t trust her enough to believe she could handle whatever it was that was going on. 

“What sort of trouble? Do you need me to do something?” Aurora tried to push past the small wall of pirates that had formed between her and Hook. 

In an instant, Smee was appeared at her elbow with his red bobble hat wobbling in a worried sort of fashion. The bobble atop Smee’s hat could often be viewed as a barometer for his various moods. 

“Just a small, tiny,” Smee paused to suck in a breath, “I would even dare to say miniscule bit of trouble. He had a little run in with some of the tattooed men and they were a bit cross about something or other.” Smee made a nervous little noise as Aurora focused on him. 

The tiny part of Smee’s brain that was still a small rodent, with certain natural instincts, could often be cowed by the sudden appearance of a ferocious and dominating gaze. Not unlike a rat before a snake, Smee would freeze and quiver ever so slightly as he fought the urge to flee in terror. The princess, when she put her mind to it, had a particularly vicious stare. He was convinced she had perfected it around the time Smee had begun walking in on her and the captain in their intimate moments. If Smee tilted his head just right he swore he could still hear the captain laughing at Smee and Aurora’s mutual discomfort. 

“He’s bleeding all over the deck. That is not a small bit of trouble.” Aurora stepped just a bit closer to Smee. Even though the rotund man was taller than her, Aurora had found that if she straightened her spine and lifted her chin she could make herself appear to be the larger person. 

“And we will see to it princess, just wait out here.” Smee waved a hand at some of the other pirates in a complicated hand signal designed to communicate to them that they should move the captain. With rabbit like speeds Smee raced away from the increasingly oppressive glare of the princess. 

In a flurry of complicated motions the pirates carried Hook off to his cabin. Those pirates unlucky enough to be left on the deck immediately leapt into a series actions designed to appease their increasingly frustrated mistress. Two of the pirates dragged over a barrel and threw one of their tattered coats over it, making it into a sort of raggedy bench. The man, who was now feeling extremely pleased with himself, gestured at it with a gap toothed smile and Aurora, seeing no other option, sat down with an angry huff. A few minutes later the cook appeared with a cup of tea and a snack for Aurora, as means of keeping her occupied. A few of the pirates even went so far as to try and play some music but they were quickly put off by Aurora’s withering glare. When the door to the captain’s cabin finally opened, Aurora tossed the cup at the head of one of the pirates hurrying out of the cabin. Surprisingly, the man managed to catch it.

Danvers cleared his throat and waved his hands in the direction of the cabin door. “You can see him now m’lady.” 

Aurora rose, with every ounce of grace that had ever been drummed into her by her governesses, from the roughly made bench and strode into the cabin. Danvers scuttled out of the way and desperately tried to make himself as small and inconspicuous as possible. 

Hook had been laid out on the bed like a corpse, his chest and upper left arm were heavily bandaged. His eyes were closed but his face was contorted in pain. Sweat covered his body, soaking into the sheets and his skin had a sickly yellow pallor to it. Turning slowly, Aurora faced the pirates cowering just outside of the cabin.

“Go and get your captain something for the pain.” Aurora spoke in a soft but commanding tone.

Practically tripping over themselves the pirates hurried off to the do the bidding of their mistress. Aurora turned and stepped further into the cabin. Swallowing slowly, she carefully lowered herself down onto the bed beside Hook’s prone figure. The man just grimaced slightly and clenched his fist, his eyelids fluttering but never opening. Reaching out a hand, Aurora laid her fingers carefully against the unbandaged part of Hook’s left arm. It was one of the rare occasions when Hook’s stump was actually exposed. 

Even now, after all the times they had been intimate, Hook still didn’t like to show it off. If it wasn’t wrapped up, he had his hook attachment covering it. Hook was a surprisingly vain man, he obsessively looked after his clothes, his skin, his hair. He bathed on a near daily basis and always wore some sort of adornment. His scabbard and sword were always shined and cleaned every morning and evening. The man had many weaknesses but second only to his need for vengeance was his vanity. 

Carefully Aurora moved her hand up to touch Hook’s cheek. She brushed her fingers against the rough scruff of hair and cupped her hand around his jaw. Hook barely stirred and Aurora’s lips slid into a deep frown. Curling her fingers ever so slightly, Aurora scratched her fingers against his cheek, a soft rough noise issuing from the motion. When he just turned his head to the side, letting out a desperate gasp of pain, Aurora let out a sigh.

Going over to the large chair by the desk Aurora pulled it over towards the bed. It made a heavy, squeaking noise as it was hauled across the floor. In its wake the chair left heavy grooves in the wood. Positioning the chair by the bed Aurora curled up and prepared to wait for Hook to regain conscious. A few more minutes elapsed before there was a soft, tentative knock on the door and a few members of the crew entered. They approached Aurora cautiously and held out a large tray laden with bread, rum and a small bottle containing the juice of the poppy. Taking the tray she waved them out of the room and say the tray on the floor. Leaning back in the chair waited for Hook to regain consciousness. Eventually she drifted off, sleep claiming her. 

Hours passed before she awoke to the sounds of Hook groaning on the bed. Startled awake, it took Aurora a moment to remember what had happened and where she was. Picking up the small bottle Aurora gave it a shake to better mix the contents and poured a small portion into a glass. She then poured a small portion of rum on top of it. Picking up the glass Aurora slowly swirled the glass, mixing the two liquids together. Bringing the glass to Hook’s lips she held it up there. She slid her other hand behind his head and helped to hold it up.

“Here, drink this.” Aurora let a few drops fall onto Hook’s lips. 

Hook muttered something but opened his mouth just enough to swallow a few drinks of the proffered liquid. Then he closed his mouth again drifting into sleep. Aurora made a face and slowly ran her fingers through Hook’s hair.

“Stupid man.” Aurora muttered to herself. 

“He is something far more than stupid.” 

The unfamiliar voice made Aurora whip her head around. Just a few feet behind her there was a small blue figure floating just inside the cabin. One of the windows was now standing open and Aurora had sworn it had been closed before. 

“You’re a fairy,” Aurora said carefully staring at the brilliantly illuminated blue figure. It was a silly thing to see, a painfully obvious thing to say, but it was one of those things that you always said in moments like this.

Aurora wasn’t a stranger to fairies. She had met them many times before. She had fairy guardians as a child and there were fairies in these lands. This fairy, however, was wholly unfamiliar and there was something about her, something unsettling. It wasn’t a feeling Aurora would ever be able to properly describe but it made her nervous.

“Yes, I am the Blue Fairy but I suspect I’m not the first fairy you’ve ever met.” The Blue Fairy smiled gently at Aurora. As she floated the fairy’s hands just waved from side to side.

“No, you’re not but you’re not like the others.” Aurora said the words carefully as she studied the little floating figure. 

“That’s because I’m not really a Neverland fairy, normally I perform the duties of a Fairy Godmother.” The Blue Fairy floated towards Aurora slowly. She came to a rest just a foot before Aurora’s face. 

“Then why are you here?” Aurora laid a protective hand over Hook’s prone chest. Fairies weren’t people, they had their own complicated set of morals and cultural structures, to assume they would behave like a person was foolish. In that moment, Aurora felt a need to keep Hook safe from the unpredictable creature. 

“Someone needed to speak with you. The fairies of Neverland thought that perhaps I would have an easier time speaking with you or you would have an easier time listening to me, however you want to phrase it.” The Blue Fairy let herself land on the table next to the cabin bed.

“Speak to me about what?” Aurora shifted to try and put herself between the fairy and Hook’s prone body. 

“Your, companion,” The Blue Fairy said the word gently and looked over at Hook. “You are aware of his past, are you not?” 

“You’ll have to be more specific than that.” Aurora bit down on her lower lip and leaned away from the fairy.

“His past with Neverland,” The blue fairy said in a voice as delicate and prim as a porcelain tea cup. 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Aurora replied primly. She didn’t actually know what the fairy was talking about but she didn’t want to give that away. 

Sighing the fairy spoke in a soft, slightly condescending tone. “It would be for the best if you could convince him to leave. He wasn’t supposed to come back, none of them are. He is disrupting things. It will only make your time here more difficult, the longer he stays. You must care for him, so please, convince him to leave.” The fairy nodded her head with a sad little smile and turned flying out the window.

Aurora watched her go and then turned her head back to look down at the prone body of Hook. Biting on her bottom lip she considered what exactly was going on.

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“You cannot be here!” Regina hissed at Hook. 

Grabbing the man by his shirt, she hauled him in through the door and shoved him to the side. Sticking her head back out Regina jerked it sharply from side to side, checking to make sure no one had seen him. Satisfied that they had avoided detection, Regina slammed the door shut with such force that the sound reverberated through the whole house. 

Hook just grinned and stumbled slightly as Regina released him. Quickly righting himself, Hook straightened out his clothes before slapping a smirk on his face and spinning around with wide spread arms. Regina raised an eyebrow and gave him a speculative look. 

“Why the sour reception? You should be happy to see me. I know something that will be of interest to you.” Hook smirked and rubbed his thumb over his lower lip. 

“I want to know how you got here and I want to know now.” Regina glared at the pirate, her fingers curling into claws. Her nostrils flared as she slowly stepped towards Hook. With her magic back, Regina felt perfectly capable of handling herself against the pirate. 

“Your mother,” Hook purred out the word and wiggled his fingers in a little dance of glee. As much as he despised Cora, Regina was hardly his friend. He enjoyed any opportunity to torment the woman. She had gone out of her way to hinder him in the past and he hadn’t forgotten that. 

Regina’s eyes widened as she watched Hook. “What?” The word came out laced with disbelief.

“She and I had a bit of an agreement,” Hook gestured expansively, his lips curling into a grimace of distaste. “But it seems she does not intend to keep her part of our agreement. I’m hoping that you would be more willing to assist me, not out of the goodness of your heart, but in exchange for certain services.” 

“You’ll have to be a bit more specific than that.” Regina put her hands on her hips as she lifted an eyebrow, her lips curling into a sneer. 

“I can offer you the location of your mother, as well as her intended plans.” Hook was exaggerating on that one but he didn’t let it show. “Your mother’s most private confidence,” even a greater exaggeration. “And finally, the location of Snow White and her rather, interesting, daughter.” 

“How could you possibly have any of that?” Regina’s mouth was curled into a look of disgust. The pirate had always been prone to confabulation and it was hard to take anything he said seriously.

“I was with the oh so charming Snow and her, offspring, not too long ago and as I said, your mother is how I got here.” Hook waved his hand and hook together in a series of elaborate circles. 

“What do you want for all of this, useful information?” Regina curled her lips up.

“I want your help to kill Rumpelstilitskin and then I want a portal back to the Enchanted Forest. Simple as that.” Hook smiled and stepped towards Regina slowly licking his lips. “I’m sure you of all people must know how to accomplish that.”

“Magic works differently here,” Regina said vaguely. As much as she wanted what Hook had, she knew she couldn’t truly deliver on what the pirate wanted, and that would undoubtedly come back to haunt her.

“That’s not really my concern, is it? I’m here to offer you a very simple trade, the lives of people you despise, for my revenge and my way back.” Hook stepped towards Regina, leaning in close to her. “Or do I have to go and talk with that lovely prince about his wife? I’m sure he’d be more than willing to help. Especially once he learns exactly who it was that originally constructed the curse that trapped him here.” 

Slowly Regina’s eyes shifted around the foyer for a moment before slowly nodding. “I think we’ll be able to work something out.” Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Regina felt her nose curl up ever so slightly in disgust. “However, no one can...”

Regina was cut off as the door to her home popped open. David stepped through the door and came to a halt, staring in confusion at the pair of them. There was a long, slow moment and no one spoke. 

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Mulan leaned back against a nearby tree as she watched the princess forage for food. With her sword propped up on her knees, Mulan carried on with the illusion of sharpening her sword, even if she really wasn’t paying that much attention to it. Aurora brought her hand up again and winced slightly. Even though, Mulan didn’t want to smirk at her pain, for that would be nasty and unkind, some part of her wanted to hate Aurora. It was that nasty part of her that looked at everything that Aurora did and found it wanting. Normally, Mulan would have considered herself above such things but ever since coming to the cave the burning rage within her had only seemed to grow. Then, Aurora paused with a mushroom held up in the air. Her body shook for a second and she dropped the mushroom. It fell away from her fingers and landed softly on the ground.

Aurora’s hands came up and she clapped them over her mouth. Her skin turned a sallow, green color for a moment and then dashed to a small clump of trees a short distance away. Mulan rose slowly to follow and then she heard the sound of retching. Making a face, Mulan lowered herself back down onto the stump she had been sitting on. When Aurora came back a few minutes later she looked paler than before and was wiping gently at her mouth. Walking over to the water bucket Aurora dampened a cloth and slowly began to clean the area around her mouth. With sharp eyes, Mulan observed all of this as her whetstone slid across her blade, a soft slicing noise echoing in the quiet clearing.

“Are you sick?” Mulan said the words sharply and without preamble. 

“You could say that,” Aurora said softly, wincing as she rubbed at her side. The pain was getting worse and it was beginning to trouble her.

Aurora didn’t dare tell Snow, who already seemed to hover about her like a mother hen, about it. The pain and the sickness she was feeling, seemed worse than she imagined a pregnant woman would feel. Then there was the exhaustion. Something that called to her like a familiar friend and bade her to sleep for days on end. Everyday felt like an uphill battle against the pain and fatigue growing inside her. The others all seemed fine and that only added to Aurora’s frustrations. It made her feel weak by comparison. Rubbing a hand over her hip, she let her fingers slide and linger over her belly for a moment. She was oblivious to Mulan watching her so carefully. After a few moments of quiet rest, she began to feel a bit better and she went back to her business, not noticing that the sound of the sword sharpening had ceased.

Mulan was practically perched now on the tree stump as she observed Aurora. Her eyes tracked the other girls every movement as a suspicion began to grow in her mind. A funny little voice, one that sounded both familiar and foreign, began to speak in the back of her head. It said to her something was wrong, that there was something going on here with Aurora, something she could take advantage of. It felt like an unfamiliar thought but she couldn’t ignore it. She never used to think like this but it felt like the thoughts had always been there. Mulan stood and carefully crept towards Aurora, who was now tidying up her fallen basket of food. Aurora had filled it with what mushrooms and fruits she could find.

As Aurora was tossing bits of food back into the basket she didn’t notice as Mulan came up behind her.

“How exactly are you sick?” Mulan stopped right behind Aurora and the girl nearly leapt into the air in shock. 

“I don’t think that is any of your concern.” Aurora stood up and clutched her basket close to her, her hands shaking ever so slightly from nerves. 

“It is all of our concern, especially if you could infect the rest of us.” Something was bubbling up inside of Mulan’s stomach and threatening to choke her. It was tickling at the back of her throat and clawing to get free.

“Don’t worry, you are all quite safe from my,” Aurora paused for a moment. “Sickness.” She wrinkled her nose and brought the basket up like a shield. Her nails dug into the cracked, woven sides. 

Mulan sneered and her hand instinctively tightened around her sword handle. “How can we be sure of that?” 

“Because you don’t pass it on in that way,” Aurora tried to sound vague but she was starting to feel deeply uncomfortable. Her right foot slid slowly back but she didn’t move, not yet. 

“I think you owe me a better explanation than that.” Mulan got in close to Aurora wanting to intimidate the other woman. Slightly taller than the other woman, Mulan leaned her face down towards Aurora. 

“I don’t think I owe you anything,” Aurora stared down her nose at Mulan. 

“That’s where you’re wrong, you could be a liability and we shouldn’t be carrying your weight.” Mulan felt the foreign rage continue to well up inside of her. 

“No one is carrying my weight,” Aurora felt a strange wave of sickness come over her. It was worse than the sickness from before and had an unnatural tinge to it. She brought up a hand to cover her mouth and tried to hold back the urge to be sick.

“We all are, don’t you see. Your weakness is making the rest of us weak. It is making Phillip weak.” Mulan said Phillip’s name like it was a curse. Even thinking about Phillip in this moment made Mulan want to strike out irrationally. 

“This is about Phillip?” Aurora’s tone was incredulous as the other girl’s nostrils flared. 

“No, this is about you,” Mulan snapped back and pulled her sword nearly all the way out of its sheath. 

Aurora’s eyes widened and she took sudden, quick step backwards. Mulan seeing her opportunity took a step forward and tried to seize on the opportunity. Horrified, Aurora stumbled and fell to the ground below. She landed heavily on the hard, rock strewn, leafy ground. The basket dropped from her hands and rolled away, its contents spilling onto the ground. In that moment Mulan felt as though she was stepping out of her body, that another force was guiding her hands. She drew her sword and held it tightly between her hands. Slowly, as though under a trance, Mulan began to raise her sword overhead, Aurora’s eyes widened in horror as she stared up at the other girl. Unable to move, Aurora couldn’t escape the haunting sight of the dead look in Mulan’s eyes. 

“Mulan!” Snow’s horrified and enraged shout drew Mulan’s focus away from Aurora.

Snow stared in shock at the scene before her, Aurora trembling the ground and Mulan with her sword raised overhead like an executioner. Mulan stared at Snow and slowly turned her head to look at her own hands. She had no idea was she was holding the sword or how she even came to be there. The sword itself felt heavy and unfamiliar in her grasp. Swallowing carefully Mulan began to lower her sword and turned her eyes back to Aurora. Aurora was pushing herself to her feet, scrambling away and trying to put as much distance between herself and Mulan as possible. Mulan stared at the fallen princess with mounting horror. The anger and evil that she had felt inside of herself had just vanished and she wasn’t sure where it had come from. All that was left inside of her was a deep, gaping emptiness. Mulan felt her sword drop from her fingers and took a step back from Aurora. 

The three women stood in the forest, not speaking, as a deepening darkness seemed to descend around them.

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Aurora was tidying the cabin. She didn’t really need to, it was practically a picture of cleanliness, but she had found that simply the act of moving and rearranging things helped her relieve stress. Hook had gone off as soon as his wounds had healed, leaving her alone again, without any explanation as to what had caused them. Frustrated Aurora yanked heavily at one of the chests that held some of Hook’s things. It was a horribly ugly, scarred old thing. She dragged it across the floor and huffed angrily when it only slowly inched across the floor. Turning around she gave it a hard kick, wincing when she felt her toe crack against its hard side. 

The chest rocked gently on its edge, in a strange sort of dance, and then tipped over before spilling open. Groaning Aurora scrubbed a hand over her face in frustration. Bending down Aurora began to pick up the contents of the chest and shove it back inside. A strange, familiar looking object rolled out and away. It bounced along the floor and jogged around the various cracks in the wood. A long string was attached to it and it trailed along the floor. Reaching out a hand, Aurora picked it up by the string and held it up, the object dangling from the end was an acorn. The acorn was old, cracked and dirty, and the string was well worn. Slowly she let it twirl in front of her, Aurora seemed to be transfixed by the motion of it. She had seen something similar to it recently. 

Pan had brought a girl called Wendy to Neverland and after she left, he had taken to wearing one around his neck. Aurora’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the necklace. She pulled it up by the string and let it rest in the palm of her hand. Slowly she ran a finger slowly over the acorn. She didn’t even hear as Hook entered the room behind her. He paused for a moment, studying the back of her head and trying to determine what she had. Preparing to smirk, assuming she had found some glittery treasure, Hook stepped just a bit closer and got a better look. In an instant his face was instantly closed off. His is one good hand shot out and snatched the bauble out of her hand.

“That is not yours,” Hook said in a harsher voice than necessary.

Aurora lifted her head and stared up in surprise at Hook. There was a look of disappointment and betrayal shining in her eyes.

Slowly her lips began to work as she stared up at Hook. “You’ve been here before. In Neverland.” Her voice was rough and broken sounding to her ears. 

Hook stared back at Aurora for a moment before walking over to the nearby window. Throwing it open, he tossed the necklace out and into the water. Slamming the window shut, he turned around and stamped out of the room again without saying another word. Aurora stared after him, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. 

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“You’ll want my help.” Hook jogged after Charming as the man hurried down the street and away from Regina’s home. 

Regina, had left her house to go and gather some supplies to deal with her mother, throwing the two men out in to the street. Charming seemed unwilling or unable to understand exactly what was going on and Hook wanted to impress upon him the importance of his proposed venture. Hook also needed an ally. He didn’t trust Regina and he didn’t trust the prince but the prince, David, Charming, whatever he wanted to call himself, was easier to manipulate.

“Help with what?” David called over his shoulder as he tried to ignore the leather-clad man behind him. 

He hadn’t been prepared for the sight inside of Regina’s home. She had been facing off with the one handed pirate and when the man explained who he was, David was immediately suspicious. Captain Hook, it seemed like a joke. He was infamous in both the fairytale world and this one. While Hook might not look how David had expected him to, he still looked like a caricature of a pirate. The man’s story had been as unbelievable as his costume and David wasn’t prepared to believe him. 

“Your family,” Hook said the word like it was a tempting piece of bait. 

David came to a stop. He paused for a moment before slowly turning to face Hook, “What do you know about my family?” 

“I know where they are, approximately, and all that I ask in return for such valuable information is a hand in getting back to our land once I’m done here.” Hook smiled and spread out his hand and hook in front of himself, trying to look innocent and open.

“That’s all?” David looked incredulously at the pirate.

“That is all I need.” Hook smirked and bounced slightly from side to side. He knew how to kill the crocodile, he only needed help finding the dagger, and he was sure he could talk David into assisting him once he had him on board.

“Really?” David stared at the pirate, his lip curling slightly. He was searching the other man’s face for any signs of lies or malice. 

“This world holds no pleasure or joy for me, I have things I need to get back to.” Hook said the words carefully trying to play out the feelings he knew David had for his lost family.

“Someone perhaps?” David raised an eyebrow in a knowing manner. He had to bite down on the inside of his lip to keep himself from smiling.

“You could say that,” Hook said it carefully still not totally sure he was comfortable with the idea of using Aurora for this purpose. He missed his princess, longed to be back with her, but he wasn’t totally sure he could use her even if it meant as a means to get back to her. There were still a few lines that he found himself unable to cross. 

“How do I know you won’t betray me?” David bit down harder on his lower lip.

“Look mate, its real simple, if I don’t get you to help me, I can’t get what I want. It’s a simple trade.” Hook smirked and tapped his hook gently against his leg. He was starting to lose patience with the other man.

“Alright, let’s talk.” David nodded and waved a hand for Hook to follow him. 

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“Diamonds, big diamonds.” Emma stared down at the slightly glowing blue gems with awe. 

“Yes, diamonds,” Snow kept one eye on Mulan. It felt strange to be distrustful of the girl but her actions had proven to be suspect. While Snow couldn’t even begin to describe what it had been like standing in that clearing, watching that strange scene play out, she still felt as though Mulan had been partially responsible. The other woman had to be held at least partially accountable for her actions. 

Mulan glanced at Snow, before her eyes skittered away nervously. She had felt the older woman’s eyes on her but when she looked Snow was staring fixatedly at Emma. The dark feeling from the other day periodically returned to her and she did her best to tamp it down. She knew it was something dark working inside of her but she hadn’t the strength to speak about it to anyone just yet.

“So now what?” Emma looked from the diamonds to Snow.

“We have to process them. Let’s gather them up.” Snow pushed the diamonds into Aurora’s little food gathering basket and they carried them over to the machinery. 

The group watched as Snow placed the diamonds on the conveyor belt and slowly began to turn the crank that started the machine. The machine came to life with a heavy, thumping noise and shuddered, for a moment everyone held his or her breath, but then it started to work. The hot fire they had already stoked was beginning to put out a heavy smoke, as the machine heaved and made terrible noises. Almost as one they all stepped away from it not sure if the machinery wasn’t about to come to life. The diamonds churned towards the processing section, all the gears moving and clicking together. Snow placed a large bowl underneath the tap where the dust was supposed to come out. Slowly she turned the heavy handle and they waited with baited breath for the first sprinklings of dust.

The dust spilled out slowly. Dust spat into the bowl and just beginning to fill the bowl with a glittering blue light. Transfixed by the sight, no one heard it. It was a soft sound, almost a whistling. It came barreling up from deep within the mines. A burst of wind sailed through the room and caught some of the dust. Lifting it up, it flew the dust straight at Aurora and struck the girl heavily in the face. There was an explosion of glittering blue and purple light. Stumbling Aurora reached up a hand and brushed at the dust in her face. 

“Aurora,” Snow shouted and stepped forward, holding out a hand.

“I’m,” Aurora wanted to say she was fine but that was a lie. She felt better than fine. She felt wonderful, blissful for just a few moments and then she began to sway. 

The others watched hands occasionally shooting out to grab her when she looked as though she might fall. Then, with legs turning to jelly, Aurora collapsed heavily to the ground. 

“Aurora!” Snow’s shout echoed in the chambers.

They all rushed over to the prone figure of the fallen princess. Snow shook Aurora’s shoulders heavily and even smacked the girl in the face in an attempt to awaken her but Aurora didn’t so much as stir.

“Is she asleep?” Emma stared in horror at the fallen girl.

“She looks dead,” Mulan said slightly horrified.

“No, not dead,” Snow made a soft sound of despair. “Just asleep, it’s the sleeping curse.” Snow slowly lowered Aurora back down and made sure not to bang the other girl’s head on the ground.

“How can you be sure?” Emma looked between Snow and Aurora.

“I just, I know,” Snow bit down on her bottom lip. “I just don’t know what do.”

“True loves kiss?” Phillip said somewhat unhelpfully.

Snow sighed and shook her head. “She has to love you too Phillip. I’m afraid the only person who could even come close to fitting that description is gone.” Snow sighed heavily and reached up a hand to tuck some of Aurora’s hair behind her ear.

“What do we do?” Emma looked down at Snow.

“We have to finish the plan, get the dust, get back to where the wardrobe was and this time we bring Aurora with us. Maybe Rumpelstilitskin or Regina will know another way to break the curse.” Snow didn’t like the idea of asking either one of them for help but they had little choice. 

Her body turned cold at the thought of what had just happened. Something had made that dust fly into Aurora’s face and something was turning them against each other. Snow wanted to get out of this mine as soon as possible. 

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“What are you doing?” Hook stepped into the cabin not sure what he was seeing. Chests and cabinets had been opened and emptied. Boxes had been overturned and dug through. In short, the cabin was trashed. 

Standing by the bed was Aurora, who was hurriedly stuffing things into a few small bags.

Pausing she sighed and turned to slowly look at him. “This is,” She paused not sure she could say the words. Rubbing her lips together she sought for the right way to say it. “I’m leaving. I can’t stay anymore.”

“You can’t be serious,” Hook let out a short laugh and then stopped when he realized that there were tears in Aurora’s eyes. “You can’t leave.” While Hook knew he hadn’t been the most talkative or friendly person these past few months, he didn’t think his behavior warranted this sort of action. 

Aurora’s laugh was a sad, heartbroken little sound. “You once told me I could go anywhere and I can’t stay here.”

“Why not? Is this about the Lost Boys again?” Waving his hands Hook stepped towards Aurora. He knew that Aurora had issues with how he handled the Lost Boys but this was hardly an appropriate reaction. 

“No, it is about you. You came to this place so you could spend an eternity obsessing over the most awful thing to ever happen to you. Well, I can’t do that with you anymore. I won’t stay here. I want to grow up.” Aurora stared at Killian, her head slowly shaking from side to side.

“Aurora.” Hook’s voice sounded broken as he reached out towards Aurora but she just shied away from his touch.

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's Chapter 7, four months late, but better late than never I suppose.


End file.
